The Battle of the Gods
by Sawyer Fan
Summary: The king of the gods, Zeus, may have stopped two disastrous events from happening when he created the Academy of the Gods, but can he stop a horrific past event from happening again? What role does his son, Apollon, play in the upcoming disturbance? And how will Apollon deal with his feelings for Kusanagi Yui and the reactions of the other gods who like her as well?
1. Chapter 1

THE BATTLE OF THE GODS

By Sawyer Fan

Disclaimer: I do not own Kamigami No Asobi in any way, shape or form. I am only writing this for fun and not for profit.

I would rate this T or PG-13 for violence, action/adventure, some mild language and suggestive themes.

This is my first fanfic for this anime/manga. I wanted to write something that mainly focuses on Apollon because I can't find many fanfics on him, and I think his character is so adorable. I am mostly writing this from the anime's view point, but I will incorporate some of Apollon's other abilities that the anime didn't touch on. He was quite a versatile god :)

This story is not beta'd so forgive any mistakes.

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A feminine form draped in the finest of silks made her way silently through the marbled hallways as her shadow fell upon the gigantic alabaster pillars on either side of her. She was no ordinary woman, and anyone who happened to gaze upon her would discover that instantly. There was a regal grace to her bearing as well as a matured beauty that was the envy of many a woman.

She made her way purposely through the ornate doors that housed her sanctuary, her lone place of refuse from her everyday duties. Here she could do as she wished without having to worry about anyone finding out.

Namely her philandering, arrogant peacock of a husband, and his brood of bastard offspring who littered her pristine world at Mount Olympus. To be in their company day after day was a slap to her pride, each one having come into the world through another woman. While she grudgingly tolerated most of her husband's progeny, there was one in particular she despised.

The undisputed "Queen of the Heavens", the goddess known as Hera, set her cold, brown-eyed stare upon a pedestal that had a basin of crystal clear water setting on top. She waved her hand over the still liquid and suddenly it sprang to life, colors blending together to form images. Within seconds, the figure of the one she hated appeared in the water, his visage sending her calm demeanor into a seething rage.

Apollon.

God of the Sun. He was also the God of light, prophesy, music, poetry, the arts, archery, medicine, healing, truth, knowledge and even plagues. He was the epitome of youth and manly beauty, and he would eternally stay young looking, unlike many of the other gods, such as herself, whose looks matured over the thousands of years.

His annoyingly bright and happy smile assaulted her eyes as she watched him laughing with a group of young gods such as himself. The insufferable youth was supposed to be wallowing in guilt and sadness, his loving and kind heart slowly dying inside until it rotted and he became cold and bitter.

Hera clenched her hands and shook with fury as she thought of how her husband, Zeus, had robbed her of victory. She had it planned all perfectly! Every one of Apollon's tragedies she had an huge part in. It was all to lead him to the fateful meeting with Cassandra.

The moment Hera laid eyes on Cassandra, she knew the human girl would be perfect. She was beautiful, yet emotionally delicate. Apollon would also be drawn to her because Cassandra was a prophetess at a temple. They had much in common, and the goddess knew the gullible imbecile would fall for the girl instantly.

It was a foolproof plan. Hera orchestrated every detail, right down to the 'false' vision of Apollon and Cassandra's future together. The goddess smirked at her brilliance. She had switched Apollon's prophetic box with her own exact copy.

The foolish boy had no idea the box wasn't his and that Hera had cast a curse upon the gift so that when he and Cassandra touched it, a dark aura would enter inside and take hold of any negative emotion they felt, amplifying it until complete despair and darkness overtook their hearts and minds. The human girl succumbed to the power almost instantly, which the goddess had counted on.

She watched the tragic events unfold in her sanctuary, grinning with malicious glee. Out in public, she wore a stoic visage, but inside she was ecstatic as Apollon fell into a deep depression. Even Zeus tried his hand at comforting the boy. Of course it failed miserably, causing a sizable rift to develop between father and son.

It was around that time she came up with an idea to trick Zeus into having an apocalyptic prophecy about Apollon becoming insane because of his despondence and then wreaking havoc on the Earth. Hera knew her husband would be forced to destroy the young god before the disaster happened to save humanity. It was poetic justice; remove the one from the universe who never should have been born in the first place.

But now she realized that idea was part of her undoing. She would have never imagined her husband would devise such an elaborate scheme to save Apollon. He had even managed to save the Norse god of light, Balder, from his fated course of destruction.

A school to teach wayward gods about humanity? Bah! Hera smelled a field of rotting fruit when she heard of the plan.

Zesus' son, Dionysus, didn't need to be there because he was quite friendly with the human race, often milling around the populace incognito. But he was close to the Sun God, so of course he'd watch out for his little brother. Hades was asked because he had a soft spot for his nephew, and without hesitation he would protect Apollon.

The biggest joke was having Apollon himself there. The Sun God loved humans and found them fascinating. He didn't need to 'learn' about humanity. No, her husband wanted to stop the prophesy from happening by healing the Sun God's growing inner darkness. The Norse and Japanese gods were added to make it appear more legitimate.

Still she had a bit of hope when Apollon had his little dark episode at the academy. Hera had known the spirit of Cassandra was watching over her love, but the goddess made sure that her words of comfort wouldn't reach his ears. Instead, he would be reminded of the tragedy he caused, and the dark aura would grow stronger inside him.

It worked beautifully for years, yet in the end that too failed. Cassandra was able to finally sooth the guilt and grief Apollon felt. It was all because of the interference of that human girl, Kusanagi Yui, that Zeus forced to come '_help_' the gods.

To her keen eyes, Hera knew the teenager was attracted to Apollon, but Zeus made her swear an oath not to harm, trick, or use her or anyone the girl was fond of to achieve any goals. While this Kusanagi Yui was much stronger than Cassandra ever was, she still could've destroyed the Sun God through her somehow. The goddess wasn't allowed to mess with the other gods either. Zeus was actually thinking things through for a change.

Angrily, the Queen of the Heavens swiped at the water in the basin, erasing the vision of Apollon. Now she would be forced to put up with that annoying twit for a while until she could come up with something else to get rid of him. One consolation was that he was back at that academy and not roaming around Mount Olympus.

Yet she was curious as to why Zeus listened to Apollon's request to keep the school going. The prophesy was averted and the young gods all passed, so why keep this farce going? She knew better than to think Zeus allowed it because his son had fallen for the human girl. Her husband liked to sleep around with mortals, but he frowned on his children getting romantically involved with them.

Hypocritical male whore...

When Zeus was distracted enough, Hera would use her sharp mental faculties to cajole her husband into telling her what she wanted to know. If she was honest, she was quite fond of messing with the "King of the Gods". Sometimes he was as gullible as Apollon, but Zeus' folly was his arrogance, while the son was an easy mark because of his cheerful, loving nature.

With a long suffering sigh, Hera turned from the pedestal and began to walk to her extravagant lounging couch to take a brief rest. A sudden pounding from outside her room caused her to pause.

Irritated, the Goddess snapped, "Who is it? I wish to not be disturbed at this time!"

An amused. male voice answered from behind the doors. "It is Hermes, my Queen. I have a gift from a devoted follower of yours. It is quite impressive, I have to admit."

A gift? It had been a long time since someone had given her a tribute. The faint smile on her face fell as she thought of the one god who did receive most of the attention and worship...Apollon.

No! She mustn't waste any more of her thoughts on that worthless fool. A wise mortal had taken the time to garner the approval of the Goddess of Marriage and Family, so she must be gracious and accept.

"You may enter," Hera spoke in an imperial tone, sweeping back a loose train of light blue silk in an elegant show of her supreme visage. Her eyes opened in surprise and commendation as she watched Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods, levitate a gilded gold tree into the Queen's sanctuary.

The 'leaves' of the tree were made of emeralds and other green minerals while other various precious gems formed the flowers that generously adorned it. The object glittered brilliantly as the sun's beams hit upon it from high, open windows.

"This is very pleasing," the Goddess said with a contented smile. "Place it in the corner near my seat and you may leave."

"As you wish," Hermes replied, trying his best to keep his sarcasm in check. He wouldn't be a bit surprised if the witch had it commissioned herself.

Not many worshiped Hera except out of fear, or wanting revenge for a love scorned.

Hermes gladly left the Queen alone with her new treasure, but was met with a set of stormy grey eyes as he closed the doors to Hera's special room. He smiled warmly at the sight of his older half sister, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Strategic Warfare. Waving her forward, he urged his sibling to follow him to a less conspicuous area where they could talk freely.

Outside the massive palace that housed the twelve Greek Olympian Gods, Hermes led Athena to a smaller and less frequented garden to continue their conversation. He knew it was no coincidence the goddess was milling near Hera's private domain.

"Did you overhear something to make you suspicious of our "_Queen_"?" he asked his sister suddenly.

Athena frowned as she sat herself down upon a marble bench near a flowing fountain. "Every time I see her go into that room, I get suspicious," she admitted. "She only goes there to hide things from the rest of us because she knows we can't penetrate the protective shroud around it."

"Well, she got herself a new trinket, so maybe that will keep our illustrious ruler happy enough to forgo any new schemes," Hermes suggested.

"She can't be happy Apollon was saved," the Goddess of Wisdom said as she began to lightly twist the braid her lustrous, black hair was held in. "While its good he's at the academy and out of Hera's reach, I still don't like him out of my sight for long."

"I have to admit things aren't as cheery without him here. Even a flash of that brilliant smile of his can make a bad day better."

"That is true," Athena said fondly with a nod of her head. "Its been over a year since I've seen him face to face."

"Have you asked Father to see him?" Hermes queried.

The goddess huffed in irritation. "I've tried many times, but I was told to stay away, or his goals for the gods and humanity could be ruined. What could go wrong with me seeing my little brother?"

The Messenger of the gods had to chuckle out loud at that last sentence. "What could go wrong with an over protective older sister who is a skilled warrior? If one of those mean foreign gods dared give Apollon a nasty glare, or said a cross word to him, said warrior would rise up and do battle."

Athena shot her brother a look before muttering under her breath, "I'm not that bad..."

"I'm sorry, my dear sister, but you are horrible when it comes to Apollon." Hermes raised his hands up in a show of peace when he saw the goddess rise from her seated position. "I know you raised him when Father brought him to Mount Olympus, but he's not a child anymore. He can defend himself."

"That is the problem; he won't defend himself," Athena replied, unable to hide the worry in her voice. "He'll only try to please them more to gain acceptance. I wouldn't change a single thing about him, but I hate to see others trying to take advantage. Apollon has such a pure love that he wishes for everyone to be happy, even at the cost of his own happiness."

"Maybe try asking Father again since the prophesy was averted. If that doesn't work, try throwing one of your epic fits of justice." Hermes gave a playful wink. "You're a clever woman, so I have faith you can come up with some excuse to get onto that mysterious island he has them all hidden on."

The raven haired goddess grabbed her youngest brother by the shoulders and gave him a beaming smile. "You're absolutely right! I will go to Father and make him agree one way or another."

Hermes smiled back. "I wish you the best on your quest to find our missing ray of sunshine." The young god watched as his sister left with a determined look in her eyes. When Athena set her mind on something, she followed through until all avenues were gone.

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On a floating island hidden from humans and other deities, the King of the gods, Zeus, sat imperially in his oversized, high backed chair inside of an enormous room. While it resembled his throne room back at Mount Olympus, it was considered his 'office' at the Academy of the Gods where he was the head master. Here he was known as Zeus Keraunos to keep in the human tradition of having a first and last name.

The supreme god looked to his right where the figure of the Egyptian god of Wisdom and Knowledge, Thoth, was leaning against one of the marble columns near the throne. He was chosen to be the 'professor' over the youthful group of gods, and he was given the name Thoth Caduceus.

"I thank you for agreeing to teach again at the academy," Zeus said with a quick bow of his head. "I know they were a challenge to your patience."

"Indeed." Thoth crossed his muscular tanned arms over his chiseled chest which peeked out from a half buttoned up blue dress shirt. His cerulean eyes fixed upon the older, golden haired god. "But I am curious as to why you are continuing to keep this school going. All the gods passed and we managed to avert the disasters with both your son and the Norse god, Balder."

His hand tightening on the staff of power he used to control the skies, Zeus frowned before meeting the gaze of the other male. "There is still a threat of another calamity," he admitted. "In one month will be the alignment of the planets, the one day our powers become their weakest."

"Yes, I had known for some time it was coming. It is the first time it has happened in my lifetime."

Golden eyes narrowed as the God of the Heavens scanned through his extensive memories, recalling one moment in particular. "I had seen this gathering of the planets once before, and I fear what I saw then will happen again."

Thoth inched closer to the older god, his immense intellect ready to soak in any detail he could glean. Zeus had been around much longer than he, and the Egyptian had to admit he found the Greek to be smart and astute; someone to respect and learn valuable lessons from.

"What happened on that day?" he asked bluntly.

"While the rest of the gods were weakened by the alignment, there was one god who grew stronger due to it," Zeus spoke quietly, reliving the incident in his head like it only happened yesterday. "The Titan god of the sun, Helios."

Thoth's eyes widened in alarm when he figured out where Zeus was going. "A sun god's powers will actually grow stronger due to the fact the sun's rays will be directly in line with all the planets instead of being scattered about. It would be like a beam of concentrated light and energy."

"Correct," the Greek god concurred. "We were so focused on trying to figure out how to get through the phenomenon that we were caught totally by surprise when Helios' body suddenly shot out into intense flames and scorching rays of light. He destroyed anything in his path. Thankfully no humans or animals had been created yet, but it caused damage to the Heavens and the planets."

The supreme ruler of the gods lowered his head in a brief moment of sadness. "Poor Helios was nearly destroyed by his own powers. He was forever weakened after that episode, and he withdrew from all of us because he feared going out of control again."

"Apollon," The God of Wisdom realized. "The same thing could happen to him and this time a lot more harm would be done. I can understand bringing him back to the school to protect the Heavens and the Earth if his sun powers can't be contained, but why allow the other gods to come along too?"

"My plan was to send the other gods home and then recreate this island. I was going to keep Apollon here with me until after the alignment, but when everyone wanted to bring back the academy and seeing how happy my son was being around these gods and that human girl...I couldn't say no."

Zeus covered the upper part of his face with the palm of his right hand as he slowly shook his head. "I was so relieved to see my son overcome his darkness that I would have given him anything at that point."

Thoth raised an eyebrow as he studied the god before him. "Hmph! And here everyone thinks of you as this immodest, tyrannical ass of a god when you're nothing but a soft touch deep down."

"Who dared to say I was an ass?!" Zeus demanded, his arrogant demeanor returning full force.

Smirking, the Egyptian god shrugged his shoulders. "I don't recall off hand, but it is good to see you back to yourself." But wanting to get back to the matter at hand, he asked, "Do you think the suppression spell on Apollon's ring will be enough to keep his sun powers in check?"

"When the alignment draws closer, I will double the curtailment the ring shackle currently has, but I'm also going to be looking at other means as well."

"How will you deal with the safety of the others?"

Zeus gave a devilish grin. "I will have everyone go home to their respective realms just before that day arrives as a school shut down. The human schools have it all the time, so why not our academy? When the danger has passed, I will have them return and resume their studies."

"I'm going to assume Apollon knows nothing of this possible danger," Thoth ventured, "so do you plan on telling him at some point?"

"I will tell him when I send the others home," Zeus replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He'll only fret about it if he knows beforehand, so I'll let him enjoy himself for now."

Thoth nodded his head in agreement. It made perfect sense to him to keep the information quiet for the time being. There was no need to go looking for unnecessary drama when cooler heads were in control of the situation.

Everything would work our as planned. The Egyptian God of Wisdom was confident in that knowledge.

*Author's note* Here is the first chapter. Don't worry, Apollon and the others will appear in the next chapter.

When doing research for the gods, I read all kinds of different accounts of the same story. Some had Athena being the first born (with or without a mother). She came out full grown from Zeus' head, so I saw her as being a possible mother figure to Apollon. I'm sure Hera didn't take up that role, and Apollon's real mother stayed with Artemis on Earth (per some stories I read).

I had Dionysus as the older brother because I felt he looked much older than Apollon and acted like an older brother in the anime.

This is my twist on the anime/manga and the mythology stories I came across (and remember from my Mythology high school class). I took some liberties, just like Kamigami No Asobi did ;)


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

A soft breeze fluttered through the layered, purple colored hair of a Japanese teenager named Yui Kusanagi as she gazed fondly upon the imposing, yet elegant buildings that were a part of her world for an entire year. It seemed so surreal to be back, but she knew she would cherish her time here for as long as she was allowed to stay.

When she first came to this mysterious, floating island, Yui wanted no part of this plan of Zeus' to help teach a group of various gods about humanity and love. How could she teach them anything? They were gods! But she found out that they too had their own issues to fight through.

Yui smiled to herself as she made her way through the familiar hallways of the academy, the faces of the young gods coming to her mind one by one. They were all gorgeous in their own way and each god had a different personality.

There were three Norse gods, Balder Hringhorni, the God of Light and Destruction, Loki Laevatein, the God of Fire, and The God of Thunder, Thor Megingjard.

Representing her country of Japan were Tsukito Totsuka, the God of the Moon (Tsukiyomi), and his younger brother, Takeru Totsuka, the God of the Sea (Susanoo).

The two Egyptian gods, Thoth Caduceus, the God of Wisdom and Knowledge, and the God of Death, Anubis Ma'at, were not part of student body. Thoth was their teacher and Anubis mostly hung around him in the library, once in a while making an appearance when his curiosity was piqued. He spoke in a weird dialect that only Thoth understood.

The last but not least, were the Greek gods. Hades Aidoneus, the God of the Underworld, Dionysus Thyrsos, the God of Fertility and Wine, and the God of the Sun, Apollon Agana Belea. Hades was Zeus' older brother, and Dionysus and Apollon were Zeus' sons.

Finally at her destination, Yui grasped the handle to the door of her room and paused, her mind traveling back to the Greek God of the Sun. Out of all the gods, Apollon was the one she was closest to, and felt the most comfortable with. He supported her efforts wholeheartedly and was a constant comfort when she felt overwhelmed or upset. No one else could make her feel like everything would be alright like he could.

But for the last couple of days she had a nagging suspicion that Apollon was avoiding being alone with her, which caused the Japanese teenager much consternation. She hated the thought of losing her cherished connection with him. Was it due to the 'confession' he gave her before she was sent back to Earth? If she was honest with herself, she felt rather unsure about it too, but she still sought out his company.

With a heavy sigh, Yui twisted the doorknob and entered inside her dorm room. Normally her 'helper', a walking and talking sack doll named Melissa, would greet her as she came in, but he was nowhere in sight. That was odd...

Before she could dwell much on the doll's whereabouts, Yui heard a soft knock on her door and hurried to open it, finding Apollon standing on the other side with Melissa resting in his outstretched palms.

He gave the teenaged girl a cheerful smile as bright as the sun itself. "Hi Fairy!" he greeted in his usual exuberant way. "I was asked to bring Melissa back to your room. Father wanted to make sure he was prepared for another year, nothing serious. Not serious at all."

Yui smiled at the familiar nickname of 'Fairy'. For some reason, Apollon gave everyone a nickname, and he gave her that one because he said she looked like a fairy from his world. "But why is Melissa sleeping?"

"Father put him in a deep sleep to rejuvenate his life force," the Greek god replied, placing the sack doll gingerly into Yui's hands. "He'll probably sleep through the night."

"Thank you, Apollon-san," the human girl said, turning away briefly to put Melissa inside of his jar on top of the kitchen table. This was the perfect opportunity for her to spend some time alone with the young god.

She gazed up into the vibrant green eyes of the Sun God and smiled warmly. "I was going to head to the cafeteria for a snack, would you like to go too?"

Apollon averted his eyes and nervously rubbed a hand over the back of his brilliant gold hair and hesitated. He really did want to accompany her, but he was also worried where it could lead...

Disappointment filled Yui's chestnut colored eyes when she saw him waver over her request. What was wrong? Why was he suddenly acting like a stranger? A sudden determination filled her at the thought of possibly losing their comfortable relationship. No, she was going to end this awkwardness between them now!

"Let me rephrase that," Yui spoke firmly, squaring her shoulders back a little bit. "We are going to the cafeteria, and then we are going to sit down somewhere and talk."

"Okay?" the handsome Sun God replied, surprised at his Fairy's somewhat demanding tone. "Is something the matter? Should I get the others too? Should I, Fairy?"

"No." To prove her point, she grabbed a hold of one of his hands and began to pull him along. She fought back the blush threatening to flood her face. It was so unlike her to be this forward, but she didn't want to give Apollon an excuse to refuse her either. Besides, he always grabbed her hand without a second thought, so why should she get all flustered?

They walked to the student cafeteria in silence, with Yui still having a grip on Apollon's hand as they entered inside. A sound of a shifting chair alerted the pair that they were not alone in the room. The three Norse gods were seated at a table enjoying some beef potpie.

Balder Hringhorni's sky blue eyes narrowed as he viewed the two entering through the cafeteria doorway. Instantly his darker side was irritated. Why was 'his' Yui holding hands with that noisy Greek? His kinder personality pushed the negative thought away as he smiled in greeting. Two of his good friends just arrived!

"Yui! Apollon! Please join us!" he called out happily, gesturing to an empty spot across from him. Loki Laevatein and his brother, Thor Megingjard turned their attention to the newcomers.

Loki's steel gray eyes zeroed in on the clasped hands as he twirled a strand of his dark red hair between his fingers. "My my...isn't Kitten and Afoollon all cozy with each other," he practically purred, though his facial features showed a hint of displeasure.

Thor fought the urge to roll his golden eyes as he watched his fellow Norsemen give the Sun God a pointed look. Seriously, was this going to go on every time Kasanagi was alone with Apollon?

"Oh!" Apollon exclaimed, trying to drop his hand out of the Japanese teen's grip. "Fairy asked me to come with her to the cafeteria."

Yui glanced between the gods, feeling the tension rising a bit. Why was Apollon acting like he did something wrong? She squeezed his hand tighter and refused to let go.

"Yes, I did ask Apollon-san to come with me," she confirmed, watching the reactions of Loki and Balder intently. "Sorry, but we have something to discuss so we won't be able to stay."

"We can all discuss it together," Balder suggested with a pleasant smile. "That would be very nice, and maybe we can offer suggestions to help."

"But...," Yui faltered.

"I agree!" Apollon cried out, turning pleading eyes to the human girl. "That would be the polite thing to do."

What in the world was going on?! Yui grew more confused by the minute. "Maybe we can do that after Apollon-san and I have our talk," she tried.

"Hey!" A loud voice bellowed from behind. "What's going on?!"

Apollon and Yui turned to find that the two Japanese gods had now entered the room as well. The youngest of the two, Takeru, sent the Greek god a glare as his golden-brown eyes traveled to where the human girl still had a hold of Apollon's hand.

The older brother, Tsukito, sighed as he closed his gold eyes, and grasped Takeru's shoulder in an effort to calm him.

But Takeru's quick temper got the better of him and he forcefully broke up the hand holding. "I thought it was understood!" he demanded as he pushed his face up into the Greek god's. "Don't force Weed to do anything she doesn't want to!"

"That was rude!" Yui cried out, reaching for Apollon's hand again. "And my name is not Weed!" Normally she would have accepted the nickname, but she was so mad at the Sea God for what he had just done.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Apollon said anxiously as he wrapped his arms around himself to keep Yui from grabbing his hand again. "I should just leave." He gave a quick bow in the human girl's direction before he rushed out of the cafeteria and down the hallway.

Yui ran out after the Sun God and yelled for him to stop, but if Apollon had heard her, he wasn't acknowledging it.

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Apollon ran without stopping until he reached the suite he shared with his Uncle Hades and Dionysus. He tried to sneak in without them noticing, but the God of the Underworld came walking into the expansive living area and caught sight of his nephew's back.

"Are you done with what Zeus asked of you?" Hades asked.

"Yes!" Apollon replied with too much enthusiasm, while at the same time moving quickly to get to the sanctuary of his bedroom. "I'm going to change my clothes and go to the tennis court," he said over his shoulder.

Concern came over Hades' normally morose features. It was a bit late to be out playing tennis. Ever since they had come back to the Academy a week ago, he noticed his nephew seemed a bit off, acting more high-keyed than normal the past couple of days. Maybe now was the time to confirm his suspicions.

"Apollon, is there something going on?" the God of the Underworld asked, reaching out to grasp the younger god's arm. "Is there something troubling you?"

His uncle's grip stopped his forward motion and the Sun God paused in his tracks. Lowering his head, he refused to look in Hades' direction. He didn't think he could deal with a bunch of questions right now if the older god saw how upset he was. "I-I just need to be alone to think things through," he said quietly. "It'll be better tomorrow."

"You know that if you need to talk, I'll listen," Hades began to say. Seeing his nephew's sad posture, he released his hold and allowed the younger god to go on his way. As much as he wanted to know what had happened, he recognized it was not a good time to push the issue.

Apollon turned and tried to give his uncle a reassuring smile. "Thank you for always being there for me," he said sincerely. "Please don't worry. It will be fine, I'm sure of it." With those words spoken, the Sun God entered his room and closed the door behind him.

Hades stood transfixed in the middle of the living area, racking his brain over what could've caused this recent mood. Apollon had been ecstatic when Zeus allowed everyone to return to the Academy of the Gods. He didn't notice anything out of the ordinary with his nephew's interactions with the other gods.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his wavy, moss green colored hair. What should he do now? Should he alert Zeus to this possible problem? His role was to watch over Apollon, and when the various gods were assembled for the first time, he pretended to be as surprised and upset as they were at being brought there. Dionysus was asked to keep tabs on the Sun God as well. Neither one of them had expected to be actually drawn into participating in the school.

But maybe that was part of Zeus' plan too. Hades had to admit this experience had opened his eyes in ways he thought weren't possible.

Still, Apollon was his first priority. He would wait a day to see if the situation resolved itself before confronting his nephew again, or saying anything to Zeus.

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Dionysus was on his way to grab some grapes he had stored in the cafeteria's refrigerator when he came across a strange sight. He saw his younger brother practically running down the hallway with Kusanagi Yui calling after him. Apollon was too far ahead to stop, so he chose to confront Kusanagi.

"Is everything ok?" he asked the startled girl. His bright green eyes widened when he saw the Japanese teenager was on the verge of tears.

"Do you know what is going on?" she begged the God of Fertility and Wine. "Why is Apollon-san acting like being around me is wrong? I don't understand why everyone is acting different! Aren't we all still friends?"

Dionysus's eyes traveled to the open cafeteria doors, his amiable demeanor turning agitated. "Are the others in the commissary?"

"Yes," Yui answered hesitantly. She had never seen a cross look on him before. He was always so laid back and happy-go-lucky.

"You should go back to your dorm room. I'll talk to the others and my brother to find out what is going on." He gave Kusanagi a huge smile in an attempt to calm the human girl. "Leave it to me."

Yui nodded her head mutely. Dionysus had a knack for getting people to relax and get along, so maybe he could solve whatever had happened.

The God of Wine watched Kusanagi walk down the hallway for a bit to make sure she did indeed leave, because he didn't want her to overhear what he was going to say to the other gods. He had an inkling as to what the current tension might be over, and no one was going to push his little brother around!

Dionysus stopped outside the cafeteria doors when he heard the voice of the Japanese God of the Moon, and decided to eavesdrop for a few moments before bursting in.

"Brother, you have made an erroneous assertion against Apollon Agana Belea," Tsukito said in his normal, monotone voice.

"He was holding her hand!" Takeru said in defense of his actions, "And she looked upset. He obviously was taking advantage of their friendship."

"She was the one actually holding onto to Apollon Agana Belea's hand," the Moon God pointed out. "Kusanagi Yui was upset at you, not at him." He shook his shaggy mane of lilac colored hair as he continued. "Besides, Apollon Agana Belea has no concept of personal space, so it is completely natural for him to use touch as a form of expression. Kusanagi Yui is aware of this habit as well and accepts it as who he is."

"Yeah well, he's too touchy-feelie," Takeru muttered, stuffing his hands into his pant pockets.

Dionysus chose that time to enter the cafeteria, throwing his arms over the shoulder of each Japanese god from behind. "What can I say? It's a Greek thing!" he said cheerily, winking at Takeru who nearly jumped up in shock at the sudden contact. Tsukito only stared at the Greek god, his expression staying sedate.

"How about we sit with our fellow gods and someone can explain to me why I saw my little brother racing down the hallway like an evil avocado monster was after him." He pushed the two Japanese deities towards the Norse's table, but he stayed standing.

"Does anyone have an idea why my normally animated little brother is acting weird?" He looked at each god, assessing who was the ringleader. Balder and Takeru appeared to be the most guilty acting. Tsukito, well, he had the same blank expression as always, and Thor was frowning at Loki, who seemed to be entertained by the question.

When no one was immediately forthcoming, Dionysus threw his hands up dramatically. "Fine, I'll start the conversation." Magically a goblet of wine appeared in his hand and he took a few sips to calm himself. "Since this odd behavior started a couple of days ago, I'm going to assume it had something to do with a scene I caught out in the gardens." He made eye contact with each god at the table. "I'm sure some of you remember...you were practically circled around my brother."

He scratched his chin as he pretended to try and recall who he had seen that day. "Hmm...I do remember Loki, Balder, and Takeru very clearly." The grip on the goblet tightened as the Greek god glanced down into the intoxicating liquid as if it would given him the wisdom of what to say next. "I am not going to let anyone bring Apollon down anymore. We are finally getting him back to being whole again, and I'll be more than pissed if he's being made to feel guilty because of some misplaced jealousy."

"Misplaced jealousy?" Loki raised an eyebrow in amusement. "We weren't the ones who told Kusanagi he loved her. He caused the problem."

"We were only thinking of Yui," Balder hurried to add. "Having been confessed to like that would place a heavy burden on her, and we wanted to make sure Apollon understood that."

"That's right!" Takeru concurred. "He had no idea he did something wrong, so we did him a favor."

Chuckling, Dionysus wrapped his free arm around the Sea God and hugged him close, placing his face near Takeru's. The younger god tensed and sat stock still. What was with these Greeks and touching?! That drunk wasn't his brother!

"What did Apollon do wrong? He told someone he thought he would never see again how he felt? Shouldn't that be something worked out between Apollon and Kusanagi?"

"I just told you he shouldn't have said what he said!" Takeru said in irritation.

Dionysus winked, enjoying the Japanese god's reaction. "And didn't I explain that he didn't do anything wrong? Kusanagi doesn't seem to be avoiding him, instead she seems upset that my brother isn't wanting to be around her."

The Greek God of Wine released his hold of the Sea God and straightened, his face turning serious. "So now Apollon thinks that he'll burden Kusanagi if he's around her, and on top of that, he is worrying about upsetting his new friends."

He finished the last of his wine and sighed. "Do you recall what my Uncle said about Apollon having a pure love for all of you? The reason we are back here is because of him, and he did it because he wanted to be with all of you, not just Kusanagi. He'd do anything in his power to help, and you know its true because of having experienced it first hand."

With a flick of his wrist, Dionysus made his goblet disappear and began to walk toward the cafeteria doors. He looked over his shoulder to give the group a parting shot. "Why can't you think about how Apollon feels for a change? I damn well know he cares about you. Don't take advantage of his loving nature like many others have done over the decades. He doesn't deserve any more 'friends' like that."

As he cleared the doorway, Dionysus had to hold back a snicker. Damn, they sure looked guilty! Well, that was the plan anyway. He knew the other gods truly cared about Apollon, but they had to look past their 'crushes' on Kusanagi to realize the bonds they shared.

Now to find his little brother and get his head on straight.


	3. Chapter 3

*Author's note*: Italicized words represents thoughts.

Thanks to those who reviewed and those who are following this story *hugs*

Chapter 3

Athena made her way to the area of the celestial mansion where Apollon's living quarters were. His room was bright, open and had an airy feel to it, perfectly resembling the young god who lived there. She ran a hand over one of the togas he used to wear, the smell of a warm summer breeze with a trace of wild flowers hitting her nose.

In the farthest corner of the room, something gold and shiny caught her eye, and the Goddess of Wisdom walked over to find it was Apollon's beloved lyre. She cradled the stringed instrument to her chest, recalling the beautiful music he used to make with it. Even Hera had to admit...once...that the Sun God was truly talented in that area.

How long had it been since she had heard him strum out a melody? Athena sighed sadly. It was just before Cassandra's death. Her little brother had created a touching and heartfelt ode to his human love, but he never got to share it with her because days later she was gone.

Still holding onto the instrument, Athena decided to get a hold of her father through their telepathic link. Because she was born full-grown from Zeus' head, she was able to invade his thoughts as well, something she took full advantage of.

"_Father, I need to speak with you urgently."_

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Zeus had just finished his audience with Thoth when a sudden headache came on. The only time his head hurt like that was when his oldest daughter was involved.

"_Athena? Is there something wrong?"_ he answered through his thoughts.

"_Yes, I must come to where you are."_

"_That is not necessary, I will come to Mount Olympus."_

Athena frowned as she stood in the middle of Apollon's room. She suspended her link to the Supreme god and scrambled for some legitimate excuse to stop him from coming there. After a few seconds, she came up with the perfect one.

"_I want to come to the school and help."_

"_Everything is under control. Besides, there isn't anything you can do here."_

"_I can help teach the other gods! I am not only the Goddess of Wisdom, I'm the Goddess of Literature too!"_ Athena tried. _"Imagine the wealth of information I could give them."_

Zeus rubbed at his temple. He knew his 'favorite' was only interested in seeing Apollon, but he did recognize the stress Thoth had been under being the sole instructor. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to have her assist him in teaching.

"_Fine, you can help teach."_ He smirked at the victory yell he heard his daughter give in his head. _"I will bring you here now. Are you ready?_"

The Goddess of Wisdom clutched her brother's lyre tighter to her chest. _"Yes, Father. I am ready."_ In a brilliant flash of light, she was transported from Apollon's room to the 'office' of Zeus on the floating island.

Athena did a double take as she viewed her new surroundings. Wait a minute, did she only get transported to the throne room at Mount Olympus? It didn't look like a school setting to her.

Her stormy grey eyes flashed angrily at her father. "Do you find this amusing?! I can't teach them anything if I'm still stuck at home!"

Zeus rose regally from his 'chair' as he chuckled to himself. "Calm yourself, Daughter. You are indeed at the Academy of the Gods. I just chose to decorate my office in the style I'm used to." His gold eyes went to the lyre in Athena's arms.

"Do you think he will play it again?" The God of the Heavens asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. He missed hearing his son's music more than he wanted to admit. It would range from soothing to joyful, whatever the occasion called for.

"I think it will aid in his healing," Athena answered, smiling fondly at the instrument. "It doesn't hurt to try."

Zeus cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Sentimentality had no place in ruling, something he tried to get into Apollon's head. "You do realize that you will have to take human form while you are at this school? Also you must dress the part. No helmet, armor, shield, or spear. Only human apparel."

Athena nodded eagerly. "I can do that! It will be interesting to be a human for a while." She placed a finger to her mouth in thought as she remembered an important detail. "What about my owl? I can have him here, right? I know Apollon will be thrilled to see him too."

"Fine." The King of the Gods gave a quick flip of his wrist and in an instant a large, snow white owl appeared, perched on the goddess' shoulder.

"Aww...there's Momma's widdle baby baby," Athena cooed, petting the soft, downy feathers of her pet. The magnificent bird showed its affection by nuzzling the side of his owner's face.

"Do you have an idea of what you want to teach?"

"Since I traveled so much with various armies over the centuries, I think Geography would be a subject I'm fluent in. Of course any Literature classes."

Zeus nodded his head in approval. "Do you think you can handle cultural studies as well?"

The Goddess of Wisdom smiled in agreement. "Sounds like a fascinating subject! I can't wait to see the grounds and get started teaching."

"Since it's getting late, I'll have someone show you around quickly and then you can go to your quarters and prepare for your first class in the morning. I will leave it to you what subject you want to start with."

Growing excited, Athena couldn't wait to see Apollon again. He'd make the perfect guide since he would know his way around the academy. "Hurry up and call my little brother here so I can take in the sights."

"I have someone better in mind," the Supreme god said with a smirk. He knew she was using this opportunity as an excuse to see the Sun God. "Apollon could indeed show you around, but you both would be so busy catching up that it would defeat the purpose." His face grew serious as he looked at his eldest daughter. "And I want to make it clear that you are not to coddle or show him excessive attention. You are to treat him as a fellow student. No favoritism."

Letting out a huff, Athena crossed her arms defiantly across her armored chest. "Why does everyone accuse me of that?

"That would be too long a discussion to get into," Zeus said sarcastically.

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Yui stood poised with her sword as she practiced in the courtyard outside of her dorm room. Thanks to some lamp posts that were placed strategically around the campus, she was able to practice despite dusk falling over the island. Hopefully the training would help calm her agitation for she was still no closer to finding the source of the odd behavior Apollon was exhibiting. It wasn't lost on her either the subtle looks of disapproval from Loki and Balder when they saw them holding hands. Takeru was normally brash and abrupt, but for him to act so aggressively against Apollon was uncalled for.

She slashed the air with her sword, her frustration rising. Was the Sun God somehow being admonished for confessing to her? Even she wasn't sure if it was really a romantic love confession, or that he loved her as friend. He had said something similar to her the night before the group had their first outing, saying he loved her optimism and strength.

A wave of disappointment overcame her as she thought on the possibility that he had meant those words in a more friendly way. Why did that bother her? Wouldn't it be better for her, Apollon and everyone if it was only congenial? The late Cassandra did have a point about mortals and gods mixing romantically. A human life span was nothing compared to an immortal.

As the Japanese teen thrusted her sword into the air, her ears picked up the sound of something solid hitting against a stone wall a short distance away. Yui stopped her practice and listened closely. She knew that sound; it was a tennis ball! And she knew only one person who played tennis that way. Sheathing her sword, she made her way to the tennis courts where she found Apollon repeatedly hitting a ball against the biggest wall of the recreation building.

She glanced around quickly to see if anyone was in the vicinity, and finding no one, she inched her way closer to the preoccupied Sun God. Maybe now they could finally talk things out!

Before she could announce her presence, the Greek god placed his racket down on the ground and lifted his hands up to shoulder level, a bright glow coming from both of his palms. Instantly the light morphed into little balls of illumination which slowly rose up into the air and surrounded the immediate area.

Unable to stop herself from uttering out an amazed, "How beautiful!" Yui fidgeted nervously as Apollon turned to her in alarm. He wasn't going to run away from her again, was he?

The Sun God looked at the human girl and tried to quell the jumpiness he felt. He really should apologize for his rude behavior earlier. It wasn't like him to behave like that, but he didn't know how else to handle the situation. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kusanagi beat him to the punch.

"Is that part of your sun powers?" Yui asked, hoping some small talk would lighten the mood. "Its so lovely."

Apollon shook his head as he gave the teenager a small grin. "I'm happy you like it, but actually it has more to do with my 'light' powers."

"Like Balder-san?"

"I'm a God of Light like Bal-Bal, but I manifest my light powers differently."

Yui's huge, chestnut colored eyes grew even larger in curiosity. "Can I ask in what way?"

The young god paused, pursing his lips in thought. "I'm not sure if can explain it right, but you know how Bal-Bal draws humans and animals to him because of his 'light'?"

Receiving an affirmative nod from Yui, he continued. "His light power gives off a continuous, outer warmth, and it attracts living beings to him, where my light powers are kept inside so I control how it is used."

"What other kind of things can you do with that power?"

Apollon's face lit up. "Let me show you, Fairy!" he said in excitement. "It'll be easier than trying to explain it." Suddenly, a soft, yellow glow started to swirl around in his left palm and then began to flow gently over to Yui, completely surrounding her in a calming aura. The Japanese teen smiled blissfully as she felt the most heavenly sensation of happiness and tranquility.

"Do you like it?" the young god asked expectantly. "I transferred some of my power to you just now."

"I don't think I've ever felt so wonderful before," Yui said honestly, letting a satisfied sigh escape her lips. "What an amazing ability to have! Do you use it often?"

He shrugged, his enthusiasm waning a bit. "I'm not supposed to use my 'feeling' powers anymore unless its absolutely necessary."

"Why? Does it put a strain on you or your powers?"

"Oh no..., it doesn't affect me at all. I used to light up the whole Underworld all the time..."

Yui picked up on the fact Apollon had indeed been to the Underworld. She had always felt the Sun God and his Uncle Hades had a strong connection to each other, and it wasn't just due to them being related. Also the use of the words 'used to' caught her interest as well. Did he not go there anymore? And why was he not allowed to use that particular power?

Choosing to forgo their discussion about the Greek god's avoidance, she decided to find out more about Apollon's past. Who knew when an opportunity like this would come up again.

"Why were you down in the Underworld? Was it to visit your Uncle?"

A fond smile formed on Apollon's mouth as he thought back to his visits when he was much younger. "I loved spending time with Uncle Hades. Once a week I would go to the Underworld and he would either play games with me, or listen patiently as I talked about various things going on." His vibrant green eyes took on a faraway look. "I miss that so much."

"Why don't you go visit the Underworld again after we are done with school?" Yui suggested. "You can spend some of your break with your Uncle."

Apollon shook his head and abruptly turned aside from the Japanese girl, picking up his tennis racket and ball from the ground. "It's forbidden," he said sadly. The Sun God began to walk away, but paused, his back still to Kusanagi. "I'm sorry for my behavior. I didn't mean to be so rude when I ran off."

"What is going on, Apollon-san?" Yui practically begged. "I don't like this distance between us! I want things to be like before, where we would talk about everything! Now I feel like you're afraid or uncomfortable to be alone with me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No, Fariy!" Dropping his racket and ball, the Greek god swivelled around and grasped the teenager's shoulders, his speech hurried and frantic. "I'm the one who did something wrong, and now I've placed an unfair burden upon you! I swear to you that I only want your happiness and I will support wholeheartedly any relationship you choose to follow. Please, please don't let me prevent you from finding happiness with someone else because of my parting words to you!"

"Apollon-san, you haven't done anything wrong," Yui said quietly, relieved to be finally getting to the truth. "I don't want you to ever think again that you can't speak freely or to be alone with me anymore. The time we spend together is very precious to me and it would make me very sad to loose our friendship."

The smile she received in return made the human girl's heart thump wildly inside her chest. It was like the rays of the sun itself had manifested its glory in the Sun God's visage, making her feel a warmth and happiness in a different form than the one Apollon had shown her earlier. She never wanted to see that joyful expression leave his face as if it was a balm to soothe and heal the weary body and soul.

Kneeling down on one knee, Apollon gently grasped a hold of Yui's left hand and softly kissed it. "Thank you, Fairy! I'm happy, very happy."

A blush overtaking her face, the Japanese teen gave a slight nod. Although the Sun God invaded personal space with the most innocent of intent, it still caught her by surprise.

"Kusanagi Yui!" A commanding, male voice boomed through the air, startling the two friends. "Come to my office immediately!"

Apollon was going to offer to accompany Yui, but then the voice demanded firmly, "Come alone!"

Giving the girl an apologetic grin, Apollon shrugged his shoulders and retook possession of his racket and tennis ball. "You had better go and meet with Father. If you want to talk later..."

Yui gave him a beaming smile. "I might take you up on that offer!" The two shared a knowing look before they went their separate ways, and Kusanagi felt like a weight had been lifted from her heart.

Even one of Zeus' weird requests wouldn't bring down her mood.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dionysus entered their living quarters, hoping that his younger brother had rushed to the confines of their 'home away from home' here at the academy. Immediately he greeted his uncle who was sitting on the sofa and reading a book.

"Hey Uncle Hades!" he called with a wave of his hand. "Seen the ol' ray of sunshine sparkling about somewhere?"

Giving his older nephew a frown, Hades slammed his book shut, a sign he wanted to find out about something. "What is going on with Apollon? He tried to hide it, but I could tell he was troubled. I don't want to lose the progress he's made recently, so you better tell me all you know."

The God of Wine joined his uncle on the couch, knowing the other god wouldn't tell him Apollon's whereabouts without his queries being answered. "Turns out a few of the gods laid a guilt trip on him about telling Kusanagi Yui he loved her. So he thinks he's got both Kusanagi and the other gods mad at him."

"What?!" A dark aura suddenly surrounded the God of the Underworld, his displeasure evident. "He was so excited about being with everyone again... I will set them straight!" He rose from his seated position, but Dionysus' hand stopped him from leaving.

"Don't sweat it. I gave them a guilt trip in return, so I think things will settle down now. I just need to find my wayward brother to talk some sense into him."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Hades sat back down. "He said he wanted to play some tennis."

"Good." Dionysus gave his uncle a cheeky wink. "Time for me to get on my big brother pants!"

"Just don't confuse him more," Hades warned with a slight smirk as he watched his nephew get up and leave.

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Back at the cafeteria, Thor was irritated at his fellow Norse gods and Takeru. Normally he would just sit back and not get involved with other people's issues, but Dionysus' words hit home with him. Apollon was always there to fight with them or on their behalf, and he never asked or expected anything in return.

So for them to turn around and make Apollon feel like he had done something wrong just didn't sit right with him. Concerned for Kusanagi Yui? More like they were concerned about Apollon's close relationship to her, and wanted to put a wedge in it so they had a better chance at getting her attention.

"Let's say your little plan actually works," Thor said out of nowhere. "So would you be understanding if Kusanagi Yui chose one of you instead? Would the rest of you who weren't chosen be ok with her decision? What if she doesn't want any of you? Maybe she wants a normal mortal boy to be her boyfriend instead of a god."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at? Are you trying to say she doesn't view any of us in a romantic way?"

"I don't know if she does or not. All I know is that she is only one girl, and she can't end up with all of you. So if you want to single out Apollon, I'm wondering if that applies to the rest of you as well."

Tsukito let out an audible sigh. "This course of action will only cause fractures to form between us. Kusanagi Yui will chose no one, and we will become enemies. All our efforts at this school will have been wasted." The God of the Moon stood up and looked at his fellow classmates. "I will not agree to this. I find the company of Apollon Agana Belea to be satisfactory and do not wish for that to immediately change." His words spoken, he quietly left through the cafeteria's double doors, leaving the other gods speechless.

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Heading towards the tennis courts, Dionysus smiled when he saw the slowly fading balls of light in the air. His little brother had definitely been there, and it also meant he wasn't far away. Seconds later he saw the object of his search, and the God of Wine noticed Apollon looked in better spirts than he had last seen him. Maybe this little talk will go smoother than anticipated.

"Hey! Sunny Shine! Wait up for me!"

Apollon stopped in his tracks and smiled at the old nickname. Only one person ever called him that. He waved his right arm in the air. "Dee-Dee! What are you doing out here?"

Dionysus caught up with the Sun God and draped an arm around the younger male's shoulders. "I was looking for you actually. Have a moment to spare for your ol' brother?"

"Of course!" After a moments pause, Apollon then gave Dionysus a concerned glance. "Is there a problem?"

"I hope not," the older god answered honestly,"but I need to know for sure." He pointed in the direction of a little gazebo surrounded by various plants and flowers. "How about we sit down over there?"

Nodding his head, Apollon allowed his brother to guide him to the summerhouse and took a seat on one of the padded benches inside. Dionysus sat beside him and made himself comfortable, trying to appear unflappable.

"Why were you running from the cafeteria?" Dionysus blurted out suddenly.

The Sun God sat up straighter in surprise. "Oh. You saw that?"

"Yes, I saw you, and I also know my little brother well enough to realize you were effected in a negative way."

"It's better now, Dee-Dee, really."

Dionysus placed his hands behind his head and gave his fellow Greek a smirk. "Convince me, starting with what caused you to react like that."

Idly twirling around the tennis racket still in his hand, Apollon lowered his gaze to the ground. "It's not worth fussing about since its my fault anyway..." He yelped in surprise when his racket was torn from his grip, followed by a hard thump on top of his head caused by the sporting equipment. "Dee-Dee!" he cried out in confusion and pain, placing a hand gently over the throbbing sore spot. "Why did you do that? Why Dee-Dee?! That hurt!"

"Good!" Dionysus said, slapping the racket repeatedly into his palm. "If I have to beat some sense into you, so be it. Because I'm that cool of a big brother." He gave his dumbfounded sibling a playful wink. "Let's try this again...what did the other gods say to you?"

Pouting a little, Apollon decided to give in and tell his mean brother what was going on. He had a suspicion Dionysus knew more than he was letting on, but was waiting to hear it from him.

"It all started a couple of days ago. Bal-Bal, Take-Take, and Loki-Loki were worried about Fairy feeling uncomfortable around me because I told her I loved her. They said it had placed a great burden upon her shoulders, and I had unknowingly overstepped my friendship with her. They suggested I should distance myself so she wouldn't have to feel obligated to be around me if she didn't want to be."

Dionysus let out a low whistle. "My my, they sure thought it out, didn't they?" He leaned in closer to his little brother. "Why did you say that to Kusanagi before we sent her home?"

Apollon gave the God of Wine a bewildered look. "Why? I wanted her to know how I felt, even though I thought her memories would be erased about her time spent here."

"Thought so. And since that was your reasoning, why do you feel you did something wrong? We all thought that was the end of the Academy, so what you did was perfectly understandable. I'm sure Kusanagi feels the same way."

Smiling, the younger god nodded his head vigorously. "She does, Dee-Dee! We had a nice talk and she doesn't blame me at all! Fairy wants me around just like before! I also told her that I didn't want what I said to keep her from finding the one she wants to be with, and that I'd support whoever she chose."

**WHACK!**

"Ow! You hit me again! You did it again!"

"Sunny Shine, you just told the woman you claim to love to practically go find someone else!" The older Greek god said in exasperation. "If Aphrodite was here, she'd be mortified!"

"Isn't love about wanting the other person happy too?" Apollon asked, thinking back to what the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite, had said to him once. "Kiss-Kiss herself told me that's what true love is."

Snickering at the nick-name for the Goddess of Love, Dionysus shook his head slowly. "Did she tell you that before or after she tried to shove her tongue down your throat? Ol' Kiss-Kiss has been trying to get under your toga for decades." He burst out into a hearty laugh when he saw his younger brother flush in embarrassment.

"She...she's just very affectionate," Apollon muttered weakly, trying to tune out Dionysus' laugher which had grown louder.

Wiping at the tears in his eyes from laughing so hard, the God of Fertility calmed himself down. As much fun as it was to tease his sibling, he did come here with a purpose in mind.

"So Lil' Bro, are you prepared to handle Kusanagi hanging around someone else, being all cozy and lovey dovey with them?" The pensive look that came across the Sun God's face almost made Dionysus regret asking the question.

"I will have to learn to accept it," Apollon replied quietly, his green eyes looking off into the distance. "Her happiness is more important to me."

"I can understand that, but what about your happiness?"

The golden haired god gave his older brother a warm smile before answering. "Seeing others being happy makes me happy. You know I've always been that way, Dee-Dee, so don't worry. I won't go back to the bad thoughts anymore."

Dionysus nodded. "That's good to know, but I want to see you happy too." He then waggled his index finger in front of Apollon's face. "Promise me that if Kusanagi decides she likes you best, you won't back off just because you think the other gods will be mad at you."

Biting down lightly on his bottom lip, Apollon fidgeted under his brother's gaze. He did worry a bit about upsetting the others. It was so hard for him to keep friends; they either betrayed his trust or died. He felt a different connection with this group, and wanted to make their comradery grow and become stronger.

"Only one can end up with Kusanagi, so there's gonna be some disappointed dudes left behind. It can't be helped." The God of Wine grasped a hold of Apollon's shoulder. "Listen to me, if she chooses you, then her happiness is being with you... Isn't that your goal? Her happiness? There's nothing wrong with letting things develop slowly as friends. Act like you did before the island was destroyed and keep your options open."

Apollon gave his brother a worried look. "Don't you think the others will be mad at me and stop being my friend?"

The older god sighed and struggled with the right words to answer with. All this philosophical mumbo jumbo wasn't his cup of wine. "A true friend can get upset at you, but they also care about you. I think these guys do see you as a friend, and in the end they will support you."

The relieved look Apollon gave him made Dionysus relax inside. Okay, he fulfilled his mission, so maybe now things will get back to how it was before. He wasn't much for confrontation, preferring to go with the flow, but family did matter to him, especially his dorky, but adorable kid brother.

"Lets head back before Uncle Hades goes looking for us," he said, reaching out to ruffle the Sun God's mass of golden hair. Hearing the light hiss of pain from his brother, the God of Wine suddenly remembered the two hits he gave to Apollon's head. "Maybe you'd better use your healing powers first," he suggested sheepishly, shoving the tennis racket back into its owner's hand.

"You meanie," Apollon muttered as he gently touched his 'big brother induced' injuries. "You're lucky Thea-Thea isn't here. She wouldn't be pleased you gave me ouchies."

Dionysus waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Pfft! I ain't worried about what Crazy Scary thinks."

Apollon gave a rare smirk. "Brags the god who avoids her like the Pompeii eruption. You really should watch calling her that even though she's not here." He raised his right hand to summon his healing abilities, but it fizzled as soon as it appeared.

"Did you use up your allowed amount of power?" Dionysus wondered out loud. "I saw the floating light balls, but that shouldn't have been too much for you to conjure up. Did you do something else?"

When Zeus recreated the island, he reinforced the magical barrier so the gods could use small amounts of their powers as long as they didn't change into their deity form. When they had reached their limit, the suppression spell would kick in to preserve the safety of the god and the academy. They were still in human bodies and using their full powers could kill them.

The Sun God frowned. "Maybe it was when I showed Fairy my feeling power..."

Bolting up in alarm, Dionysus' green eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "What possessed you to do that?! You know Dad would go ballistic if he knew you used it!"

"It's not a bad power!" Apollon replied passionately. "What's wrong with using it since it's a part of who I am?! Fairy asked about my light powers, so I showed her a little bit."

"Hey, I'm not against you using it, but I don't want you getting Dad all riled up. Lately he's been in a decent mood...for him." Dionysus wrapped an arm around Apollon's shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. "Even if he does find out, I've got your back." His heart swelled in contentment when he saw the beaming smile of brotherly affection from the Sun God.

"We better get back to the dorm." The younger god rose from his seat and gave his big brother a hug. "Thanks for checking on me." He then pointed towards his head and gave a wink, "Next time though, don't try so hard to make your point."

The two Greek brothers left the gazebo and continued on to their living quarters, feeling the familiar glow from the strength of family bonds.

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Zeus rubbed at his neatly trimmed beard as he took in his oldest daughter's appearance. "Before your escort arrives, maybe you should change into human attire."

Athena's grey eyes lit up in excitement. "I know just the outfit!" She transferred her idea to her father through their telepathic link. Her father nodded in agreement, bathing the goddess in a bright light.

Seconds later, Athena was wearing a pink and green camouflage T-shirt with olive green cargo pants and white tennis shoes. Her luminous, black hair was braided down her back and her head was covered with an olive green ball cap. She had to admit the clothes nowadays was much more functional.

"Your guide will be here shortly," Zeus alerted, feeling the presence of Kusanagi Yui nearing his office. "Be on your best behavior, Daughter."

Making a quick pit stop to her dorm room to change her clothes, Yui hurried to answer Zeus' summons, her mind still thinking back to the revelations she discovered about Apollon. Why was it forbidden to use his one power? Why didn't he visit his Uncle Hades anymore when it was obvious he loved to go see him? It was really none of her business since it was literally, ancient history, but she couldn't cease from wondering about the reasons.

Finally reaching her destination, the Japanese teenager pushed open the massive doors and entered inside the lavish room. Her eyes opened in awe when she viewed another female standing in front of Zeus' throne. The woman was absolutely stunning, and Yui couldn't recall ever seeing a girl so beautiful before. Was she what they would call a 'goddess'? The newcomer was taller than 6ft, but she had a perfectly portioned figure that was svelte, yet athletic. Perched on her shoulder was a massive white owl who watched Kusanagi warily.

"Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom," Zeus announced in a booming voice, "meet Kusanagi Yui, our human representative. She will show you around the campus and help you to settle in. You will go to her for anything you will need."

"Uhm, hello...," Yui said, bowing respectfully to the much larger female. Soon she found herself wrapped in a strong hug.

"Greetings to you!" Athena said cheerfully, as she released her hold on the younger girl. "I look forward to teaching you and the others!" Even the owl gave a quick 'hoot' as if he was acknowledging the human's presence.

"Oh! You are going to be a professor at the Academy?" Yui asked in surprise.

"Yes, I will be teaching Geology, Literature and Cultural Studies." The goddess clasped her hands together eagerly as she bent down towards the other female. " Do you know Apollon, the God of the Sun?"

"Daughter!" Zeus barked out, slamming his staff on the marbled floor. "You are forbidden to see him tonight as we discussed!" He then pointed at the human girl. "Kusanagi Yui, you will not take Athena anywhere near where Apollon is staying! You will show her the main areas of student activity, the library, and lastly the student store to collect her school uniform and her teaching materials. Since her arrival was not planned, she will also be sharing your living quarters until I am able to find a suitable alternative..." He gave his pouting daughter a quick glare before continuing. "Or she is sent back home, whichever happens first."

Yui nodded mutely, inwardly reeling from the sudden change of events. She now had to take care of a goddess? And since Zeus called her his 'daughter' then that meant she was Apollon and Dionysus' sister.

The Supreme God turned his attention to Athena. "Since you will be in human form, I must place a shackle upon your person to curtail your divine powers. All the gods here must wear one, and it is not only for your safety, but for the safety of this island as well." A golden light swirled around the warrior goddess and a pair of round, pearl earrings appeared in each earlobe.

"Will I be able to use any of my mental powers?" The goddess asked as she reached up to touch her newest jewelry accessory.

Zeus nodded. "Yes, you will be able to access that ability since you will need it to adapt quickly. Everything else will be done in mortal form. Also keep in mind the limitations of the human body. You will grow tired, feel pain, and if you are not careful, can become seriously hurt."

"Understood, Father." Athena grabbed a hold of Yui's hand and began to pull the startled teenager along with her to the door. "We will begin the tour now!" she called back over her shoulder.

The Greek god shook his head as he sat back down into his throne. Did he just make a big mistake by caving into his head-strong daughter? He could only hope Thoth accepted this new wrinkle in the plan graciously.

No, he was worrying over nothing. They were both gods of wisdom, so intellect would prevail in the end. It was a logical conclusion.

Right?


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Her hand still clutching onto Yui's, Athena rushed down the marbled hallway, eager to start her new life here at the Academy. While she was disappointed she couldn't see Apollon right away, there was still plenty to keep her occupied until their reunion. She stopped in mid-stride when she realized she didn't have an important item with her anymore.

Her little brother's lyre was no longer in her possession! She closed her eyes and concentrated, calling her father through her mind. He must've sent it back to Olympus along with her regular garment.

Kusanagi watched the much taller woman in a mixture of confusion and interest. Why did they stop so suddenly? The Japanese teen decided to count her blessings and rest from the hurried pace. The casual use of physical contact reminded her of Apollon and Dionysus' behavior. Since the goddess was their sister, maybe she could find out more about what happened with the Sun God from her.

Athena smiled to herself when Zeus told her through their mental connection that he had sent the lyre to Kusanagi Yui's room. She was correct in assuming her father wanted to hear Apollon playing again as much as she did.

She looked over at her new roommate. "I'm really sorry to have stopped so abruptly. I had to ask my Father...Zeus...where Apollon's lyre was."

"Lyre? Do you mean the stringed instrument that resembles a harp?" Yui looked behind her. "But why aren't you heading back to his office to ask?"

"I did ask." Seeing the look of discombobulation on the young girl's face, Athena tried to explain it better. "I was born full-grown from Zeus' head, so I am able to communicate mentally with him." She had to grin at Yui's shock at her answer. "It's a god thing, even I can't fully explain it all."

"Oh." Yui shook off her surprise and decided to test the water to see if she could find out a bit more about the God of the Sun. "I didn't realize Apollon-san liked to play music."

The Goddess of Wisdom became even more animated at the chance to talk about her beloved brother. "He is the God of Music too in Greek mythology. There is no one better at creating and playing music. His instrument of choice is the lyre, but he could play anything he touched."

"I found out tonight that he is also the Greek God of Light," the teenager added. "He even showed me his 'feeling' power."

Athena retook Yui's hand and began to rush down the hallway. "We can't discuss that issue here," she said in a hushed voice. Her eyes flitted back to the closed door of Zeus' office, worry filling the grey depths. Her owl also glanced quickly behind him as he flew by his owner's side.

Falling silent, Yui allowed herself to be drug along, her curiosity growing over what was the big deal about Apollon using that power. Considering how the god was so amiable and helpful, it seemed like a natural thing for him to use it to bring others happiness.

Once outside the 'Administrative Building' that housed Zeus and Thoth's quarters, the Goddess of Strategic Warfare stopped her frantic pace. "It should be safe to speak of it here," she said in a quiet voice. "We'll talk while walking leisurely so not to make Father suspicious."

"Is there something wrong with Apollon using that power?" Kusanagi asked, unable to contain her interest. She gestured in front of herself, keeping up with the appearance of giving the taller woman a tour. "I thought it was amazing, and so like Apollon's personality. It felt so warm and euphoric."

The goddess smiled appreciatively at the girl. "You seem to know my little brother very well. I agree, that particular power is every bit of who Apollon is. If he could, he'd bathe the whole world in it everyday."

Yui began to walk towards the building that housed the classrooms and cafeteria, and Athena followed, the owl settling back onto her shoulder. "He did mention he would use it in the Underworld."

Her eyes growing big, Athena shook her head a little in surprise. "He must think a lot of you to reveal this side of himself."

Blushing, the Japanese teen grinned sheepishly. "He is a very dear friend to me, and I want to know more about who he is, not just the fact that he's a Greek god." She opened the door and ushered the goddess inside. "This is where the students go for classes and the commissary is here too." She felt a warm presence as the warrior goddess hugged her from behind.

"Thank you so much for being his friend!" Athena said sincerely as she released the girl from the embrace. "He craves friendship so much."

Yui grinned. "Apollon-san must have many friends, considering how he doesn't know a stranger and is so giving of himself." She found herself befuddled at the sad smile the Greek goddess gave.

"You would think so. He's the most worshiped of the gods, even above our Father, but they only want what he can give them. The minute he doesn't make them happy, they abandon him." Athena looked downward and shrugged her shoulders. "Personally, I'd smite them for their ungratefulness, but Apollon won't let me do it."

"Eh?!" Yui found herself shrinking back a little. Smite?!

Chuckling, the Goddess of Wisdom lifted her hands up halfway in a show of non-aggression at the girl's reaction. "I'm also a Warrior Goddess, so don't be surprised to hear me speak like that. It'd take a lot for me to get upset enough to do that. I only get truly angry when someone tries to hurt my family...especially Apollon."

Kusanagi relaxed a bit. "You must be very close to him?"

Athena fisted her right hand and struck it above her heart, pride showing in her beautiful face. "When Father first brought him to Mount Olympus as a baby, I was the one who raised him! I'm his second mother."

"I'm sorry to hear his mother passed away," Yui said sympathetically. "You are a wonderful sister to love Apollon-san as your own child."

Giving the teenager a confused look, the goddess said, "No, his mother stayed on Earth to raise his twin sister."

Twin sister?! The Japanese teen's eyes and now open mouth grew wider. "I-I had no idea he had a sister!" She then muttered sheepishly, "I maybe should have studied more about the myths of my fellow classmates."

Laughing, Athena gave Kusanagi's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Good thing you didn't. Those myths are just that, myths. Most of what is written was made up by ignorant mortal minds. You are going about it the right way, getting to know them on a personal level."

Yui's face brightened. "Thank you. What is Apollon-san's sister like? Do they look identical?"

The goddess gave an amused snort and replied, "They are total opposites. For starters, Apollon is the Sun God, while his sister, Artemis, is the Moon Goddess. He is bright and personable, while she is distant and solitary. The only things they have in common is that they are siblings and both gods of archery."

"I did know that he was skilled in archery!" Yui exclaimed, pleased that she at least knew that about her friend. "I gave him his last name Agana Belea based off his bow and arrows."

"Last names? How exciting! I should come up with one too!" Athena began to think of a name, a smile forming on her face when she came up with one. "How about Athena Aegis? Aegis is Latin for shield." Wrapping an arm around the smaller female, she grinned. "Since we are going to be sharing living quarters, you may call me Athena."

"T-Thank you, Athena-san."

"How should I address you? May I call you Yui?"

The younger female smiled and nodded. Glancing up at a large wall clock situated midway in the long hallway, Kusanagi realized that a half hour had passed since leaving Zeus' office. As much as she loved finding out more about Apollon's personal life, she did have an obligation to show Athena the campus. Reluctantly, she changed the course of the conversation.

"As much as I'm enjoying talking with you, it is getting late so we had better hurry along if you wish to get settled in and prepare for your first day of teaching."

"Wisely spoken!" Athena agreed enthusiastically, as she followed the human girl through the main corridor of the facility. "I can't wait to start a new adventure!"

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Takeru walked barefoot through the doorway to his and his brother's living quarters, glancing around for the stoic Tsukito. It was rare for the older god to react that way. Did the Moon God feel some sort of bond with Apollon? Could his big brother actually think of that ditzy Sun God as his friend? Mr. Technical friends with Mr. Air-head? How could that combination even work?

"Brother, you've returned," Tsukito remarked in his monotone voice. "I didn't think you would be back so soon."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I would like to think you were all seriously pondering on the words Dionysus Thyrsos, Thor Meginjard and myself spoke. Given the subject matter, the discussion ended too quickly for it to have been fruitful."

The Sea God shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and gave his fellow Japanese god a hard look. "So you're sticking up for Afoollon too?"

"Do you dislike Apollon Agana Belea?"

"No! Of course not!" Takeru snapped defensively. "He's really kind of harmless, given the fact he's a total goof." He gave a shudder before speaking his next sentence. "But why does he have to touch everyone?! I swear, him and his brother need to learn some lessons from their Uncle Hades and be more aware of personal boundaries."

"That is who they are. It wouldn't be surprising if Hades Aidoneus would be more friendly if he didn't have the curse of the dead upon him. The God of the Sun has always included me in all activities and welcomes my opinions. If I had my way, I would prefer to do what was needed to pass and be left alone. Apollon Agana Belea refuses to let me do that." The tiniest hint of a smile touched Tsukito's mouth. "He brings another dimension to any situation, and it is never boring. For once in my life, I don't find the change to my routine unpleasant."

Picking up his white rabbit, Usamaro, and cradling it to his chest, Tsukito walked over to the door and opened it with his free hand. "I am going to visit Apollon Agana Belea, would you like to join me? Maybe to apologize for your behavior?"

The Sea God scowled as he looked off to the side. He knew his big brother was right, he did accuse Apollon unjustly for upsetting Kusanagi, and Dionysus was correct too about his role in taking advantage of the blond's eagerness to please.

Dammit! That meant he had to eat humble pie and that sucked!

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Thoth had just settled down into his favorite chair inside of his Egyptian styled lair when he heard a knock at his door. Grumbling to himself, he rose from his seated position and warily opened the door. He had to be on guard for any pranks the God of Fire, Loki, might try to pull. His irritated scowl disappeared when he found the King of the Gods standing out in the hallway.

"Zeus, you caught me by surprise," the God of Wisdom had to admit as he gestured for the older god to enter. "Normally you just call me to come to your office."

The Greek god cleared his throat. "Well, I was checking on a situation, and since I was heading back this way, I decided to stop by and give you the news in person." The Supreme Ruler of The Skies was not going to acknowledge that he was tailing his daughter to make sure she didn't make a bee-line to Apollon. While she could enter his thoughts without any issue, he couldn't do that so easily to her, thus he had to spy on Athena the hard way.

"News? Did you figure out another way to contain Apollon's powers during the planet alignment?"

"Nothing as of yet, but starting tomorrow, you will be having a partner in teaching the young gods." Seeing the Egyptian god's eyes narrow, Zeus hurried to calm the inevitable protest. "I've noticed how hard you have worked to try and get anything through their wooden-headed skulls. I've asked another to help relieve the burden you bear."

"Who?" Thoth did his best to control his sharp tongue, knowing how much more powerful the other god was than him.

"My oldest daughter, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom."

"What?!" Cerulean eyes widened in anger. All respect and reason left at the mention of that name. "You want me to work with that horrid wench?!"

Zeus was shocked by the intense reaction to his daughter's name. Horrid wench? How could anyone see his 'favorite' progeny that way? He only knew of one who was called that on a regular basis.

The older god smirked and waved a dismissive hand. "No, you're thinking of Hera. Believe me, I would never force her on anyone, that would be too cruel."

Thoth grew silent as he thought back to the one time he had met that female goddess many decades ago. He was told it was Athena, but maybe he was told incorrectly? Hera was well known for being a hellcat if she was in a bad mood, and that would definitely describe who he had met that day.

"Maybe I was misinformed," he relented. "Will I be meeting her tonight?"

"I had Kusanagi Yui show her around the grounds since they'll be sharing living space together."

A dark brow rose in question. "Sharing? Couldn't you instantly create her own separate quarters?"

Zeus nodded. "Of course I could, but I want to see what happens first before I commit that far. She has to show me that she is truly invested in educating these gods."

Thoth wanted to groan out loud. That didn't sound very promising. He didn't want to waste his valuable time with someone who wasn't into the education of those immortal hooligans. It took everything he had to walk into that classroom and deal with the mass imbecility day after day. But he was asked specifically by the King of the Gods and it was for the good of the Gods and Mankind.

"Is there some reason why your daughter would want to come here otherwise?"

"Athena is like any woman; she doesn't like not knowing what is going on. She's been pestering me for a year to come here."

"What changed your mind this time?"

"I could tell the students were wearing on your nerves this past week, and then Athena communicated with me that she wanted to help teach. I decided to try it out to see if it would benefit everyone in the end. You are both gods known for your wisdom, so together you could teach this unruly younger generation quite a bit of information."

Grudgingly, the Egyptian god nodded his consent. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have someone else put up with those bastions of wasted brain space. He'd give it a try to ease the metal strain he felt after a long day.

Zeus gave a small grin in approval. "I will leave you to your hard earned relaxation, and have Athena meet with you tomorrow after your first class."

The two gods parted ways for the night, hoping the next day would bring about good results.

*Author's note* Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/faved/followed this story so far!


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Hera had just begun to doze off as she laid upon her lounging couch when she heard a female voice softly calling her name. Startled, the Queen of the Heavens bolted upright and quickly scanned her surroundings. Who dared to enter her private domain?

Seeing no one, she settled back down into her seated pose and began to close her eyes again. It had been such a draining day that maybe she was imagining things. Once again she began to drift off into sleep when the female voice returned, this time a bit louder.

Furious, Hera stood up and power crackled about her. This time wasn't her imagination playing tricks. Someone she didn't invite was hiding somewhere and by the gods she was going to make them pay for their insolence!

"Who dares to enter my private quarters without my permission!? Show yourself now and I might show leniency by sparing you from utter destruction!"

"But you did invite me inside," the female voice proclaimed. "You accepted my gift."

Turning to her left, Hera noticed the beautiful jeweled tree was now glowing. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"We both have a common goal," the voice answered. Soon a bright light filled the immediate area and a feminine form began to emerge.

The Goddess of Marriage gasped in shock. Standing before her was the Goddess of the Earth, Gaia. But instead of seeing a calming, soft aura around the much older goddess, there was a black, menacing one as once kind, blue eyes now held malice.

But seeing what was in Gaia's palm made Hera tremble in horror. Resting in the open hand was none other than the prophesy box she had made to curse Apollon and his lover! But it had disappeared centuries ago after Cassandra's death, so how did the Mother of the Earth now have possession of it? Was the drastic change in her appearance due to the fact she was bearing the curse as well?!

"No greeting, my Queen?" Gaia almost purred, her eyes narrowing. "Such rudeness after accepting my gift." She looked down to where Hera was staring and raised the box higher. "Do you recognize it?" Getting no answer, she continued, "Of course you remember...you were the one who created it."

"T-that's Apollon's gift to that foolish human girl!" Hera tried to bluff.

Gaia let out a dark laugh, her eyes glowing. "No, my Queen, Apollon would never create such a present to curse someone he loved."

"Maybe the girl's suicide caused the box to become cursed?"

Smirking, Gaia shook her head. "No, this has all your hallmarks, Hera. Not only did I see the future through this box, I also saw your past. A past filled with trying to get rid of the God of the Sun ever since you found out his mother, Leto, was pregnant."

Hera tried to calm her shaking nerves. "How can you believe in such rubbish?! That box obviously is flawed. I'll admit that I loathe him, but to insinuate I tried to eliminate him is going too far!"

Back to her haughty self, Hera pointed to the jeweled tree. "First you deceive me to gain entrance into my private domain, and then you slander me with accusations you claim to have gotten from a box! Leave at once and never show your face to me again!"

"So you're not interested in my proposition to be rid of the Sun God forever?" Gaia said while looking straight at the younger goddess. "Was I mistaken to think I would have an ally in this plan?"

The Queen of the Heavens wanted to scream out that she was indeed interested, but she had to tread carefully. Obviously the box's curse had brought out Gaia's resentment over something, but she couldn't come up with a reason why it would be against Apollon. Yet, it could also be the opportunity she was looking for.

"Why do you wish to do anything to Apollon?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest. "I can't imagine what he could've done to have caused such a reaction. He's too much of a simpleton to be deceitful and crafty."

"I have nothing against him," Gaia replied, "but I do despise his father."

Hera couldn't stop her mouth from gapping open a bit. Zeus? That didn't make sense! "Gaia, weren't you involved in helping our mother, Rhea, hide Zeus so he wouldn't be swallowed by our father? I thought you approved of his overthrow of Cronus and the other Titans."

The dark aura intensified around the Earth Goddess as she spoke. "Zeus has become power hungry, arrogant, and unable to take advice from anyone. He has turned into what he fought against...his father, Cronus. This god on the throne now is nothing of what I envisioned for him to be!"

"But why go after Apollon?"

"Because I want to make Zeus suffer, to show him that he is not all that he thinks he is. He betrayed us all by his callous actions, so I will take away his precious Sun God as punishment."

Shaking her head, Hera couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You can't be serious! Zeus would destroy you if you purposely harmed his son!"

An evil smile appeared on Gaia's face, causing the other goddess to grow cold inside. "Would he? I am the Goddess of the Earth. If he destroys me, he destroys the Earth and all it holds. No, I don't think Zeus is half-witted enough to try that."

"Why come to me with this?"

"You are the only one who can help me. I know you can watch Apollon on that hidden island Zeus created." When she saw the other goddess start to get angry again, Gaia pointed to the open windows of the room. "My flying friends told me about how you use that basin of water on the pedestal to view him."

Letting out an impatient huff, The Goddess of Marriage weighed the options in her mind. Should she just agree to the plan already, or play it out more? It could easily be an elaborate trap as well. It wasn't lost on her that most of the gods, except Hades (who blamed it on his curse), felt she had something to do with Apollon's past misfortunes, so maybe one of them decided to test the theory out.

"If Zeus found out I was involved in trying to hurt his son, I would not fare as well against his anger."

Crazed laughter came out of the Earth Goddess as she squeezed the cursed box tighter in her grip. "Don't bother pretending anymore, Hera! I know it all! How you led a baby Apollon to the secret passage way that went straight to the Underworld, allowing him to crawl down alone, expecting that the Hell hound, Cerberus, would tear him apart."

"H-how did...?!"

Gaia raised her free hand. "Oh my Queen, there is more. What about the time you instructed your grandson, Eros, to hit Apollon with a love arrow and the nymph, Daphne, with a leaded arrow? He loved her, but she now hated him, enough to beg to be turned into a tree to avoid his pursuit. Or there is the time where you told the God of the Western Winds to blow Apollon's discus off course so that it would hit and kill his beloved human friend, Hyacinthus. But your most brilliant scheme was this box I now hold..."

"Enough!" Hera barked out, her body trembling in a mixture of fury and fear. "How dare you!"

"I am not your enemy. I now understand your hatred of Apollon," Gaia said in a sweet voice that didn't match her cold, blue gaze. "I can understand how much it hurts to have your beloved husband rebuff you and turn to other women, who in turn bear him such magnificent children. While the children you bore Zeus, like the God of War, Aries, is treated with disdain and your two daughters aren't even considered good enough to be part of the twelve Olympian Gods."

Watching Hera grow still and pale, the Earth Goddess went in for the kill. "If that wasn't enough, Zeus brought his golden boy to Mount Olympus to add to the rejection you already felt. Apollon was such a beautiful and special child, blessed with more divine gifts than even his father. He instantly became a favorite among the gods and then humanity. The proud father showed him off to everyone, but did he show the same pride in the children you created together?"

Gaia inched closer to the younger goddess. "Zeus begs to marry you, and then has the audacity to flaunt his cheating ways without a care to how it would affect you. How many times did you 'disappear' from Mount Olympus, hoping your husband would come and search for you? Instead of searching for you, he went on his merry way, seducing another young woman for his lustful appetite." She stopped briefly and gave Hera a fleeting look of pity. "Even after all that, you still love him."

"Yes," Hera mumbled, her brown eyes turning downcast as her anger drained away, replaced with self-loathing and bitterness. "I want to hate him, but I can't. The tiniest bit of affection makes me powerless against him." She stared off into the distance, wrapping her arms around herself. "He was so beautiful, so strong, so majestic... I still remember how I fell in love the moment I laid eyes on him."

"I remember him that way too. But look how far he has fallen from that youthful and awe inspiring god," Gaia said. "Zeus is also keeping a secret from you as well." Seeing the other goddess' head snap to attention, she continued. "He lied about what he saw in that vision he had about Apollon. Yes, your false prophesy was supposed to have appeared to him, but he actually had another one."

"How do you know of this?!" Hera demanded.

Gaia smirked. "Because I gave him a different one. Apollon does indeed destroy the world, but it isn't because of grief turning him mad, but the same fate as Helios."

Hera gasped, her mind going back to that horrific event. "The alignment of the planets caused Helios' power to go berserk, so how can you tie that to Apollon? Even he has no idea how truly powerful he is."

"There will be another alignment in a month's time."

The younger goddess began to pace around her quarters, wringing her hands while she thought of all the destruction that could happen. "We-we have to tell Zeus! We can't let that cretin son of his destroy everything! He is the only one who can stop this!"

"He does know," the Earth Goddess said curtly. "He also figured out the boy was cursed because of this box." Noticing the panic flaring in Hera's face, she chided scoffingly, "For someone who denied my accusations earlier, why are you afraid?"

"Do not mock me!" Hera snapped. "If you desire any corporation from me, you'd better tell me what all Zeus knows!"

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As she walked behind Yui, Athena soaked up every detail she viewed in her mind for further reference. The idea of sharing her knowledge with others was fueling her imagination, and the potential was making her heart swell with excitement. Not only would she be with her precious little brother on a daily basis, she would also have a hand in shaping the future of divinity and humanity.

Kusanagi stopped and pointed to a row of doorways. "These first two doors is where we have our science and art classes," she explained. "The other two doors further down is where our math and humanity classes are held."

"Who is your teacher?" the goddess asked. "My Father didn't tell me the name of the god whom he brought here to do that."

"It's Master Thoth."

"The Egyptian God of Knowledge?" Receiving an affirmative nod from her human companion, Athena frowned, trying to recall why that name seemed to trigger something negative. Of course she knew who he was, but was there something else she had heard about him? One thing though about him irritated her straight off. "Why does he get called Master? Are you his slaves or something?"

Yui gave a sheepish chuckle. "Well, he insists on being called that title."

Athena let out a sigh. "Is he some all mighty male, pompous ass?"

Giggling a little at the description, the Japanese teen winked. "He's very confident in who he is, if that is what you mean."

"Great," the goddess rolled her eyes. "No wonder Father chose him, they're kindred spirits." Across the hallway, two doorways began to glow, alerting her to Zeus' wishes. "I guess those are my rooms."

As the females neared, both doors suddenly opened on their own, inviting them to come inside. The first room they entered had assorted maps hung about the place, along with photos of various cultures. Athena nodded in approval. This would serve as her Geography and Cultural Studies room. Through the next doorway was a similar type space, but this one had rows of books lining the walls and comfortable desks for reading. A perfect setting for her Literature classes.

"Looks like Zeus-san thought of everything," Yui commented in wonder as she looked around.

"I have to agree, Father did study the human school structure extensively." Athena clasped her hands together. "Is there a main library? I would like to do a bit of research to help in my teaching."

"Yes!" Yui replied enthusiastically. "I'll take you there now if you'd like." As she led the deity to the library, Kusanagi decided to ask a few more questions about Apollon's family. "Athena-san, you said before that Apollon-san's sister and mother lived on Earth, does he get to see them?"

"Yes he does. Artemis is one of the Twelve Olympian Gods, and has her own room at Mount Olympus, though she rarely stays there. If she does, its to visit with Apollon. Sometimes he'll visit them on Earth too."

The teenager gave a relieved smile. "I'm glad he can spend time with them. Does his mother come to Mount Olympus too?"

Athena gave a low whistle. "How can I say this? She can come, but she doesn't because it always causes chaos." Seeing the worried look on the human girl's face, the goddess shrugged. "Zeus is married to Hera, the Goddess of Marriage and Family, so she doesn't approve of Father's 'lovers' coming to Mount Olympus. Hera can get very nasty."

"Oh. That has to be hard on Apollon-san," Yui said softly, lowering her gaze to the ground.

"It is," Athena replied. "His mother, Leto, is very kind and gentle. Apollon is a lot like her."

"Were Zeus-san and Leto-san in love?"

The Goddess of Wisdom nodded. "They were. I'd even venture to say they still are. Leto was married to my Father when she became pregnant with the twins, but Hera refused to acknowledge the marriage. And since she was the first wife, and the deity of marriage, it was annulled."

"This Hera isn't mean to Apollon-san, is she?" Yui asked in concern.

Turning her face away from the younger female, Athena struggled briefly with how to answer. Should she say anymore? She didn't want to lie and pretend things were good, but she didn't want to trouble Yui either. It was enough she was worried about what the 'Wicked Bitch of the Skies" was up to on almost a daily basis.

"They pretty much stay away from each other," the goddess chose to say.

Picking up on the lack of detail on Athena's reply, Yui chose to drop the subject. Things were growing more complicated the more she found out! To think such drama existed in the worlds of the gods too.

Less than a minute later they were at their destination. Athena hurried past her guide and entered, her face lighting up in joy at the massive amount of books that covered most of the walls.

Closing her eyes, the goddess raised her left arm to shoulder level as her hand stretched out towards the books. The fingertips of her right hand gently pressed down on her forehead as she concentrated to find the subjects she was looking for.

Yui watched in fascination as several books began to glow and move up and down from where they sat inside of the bookshelves. She guessed that Athena was using some her mind powers.

Minutes later the goddess lowered her arms, a pleased smile on her lips. "That should do it for now. I've got a good idea on how to start." Athena began to walk out the door when she heard a sound coming from behind one of the bookcases. Looking at her owl, she gave a slight tilt of her head in the direction of the noise. Instantly the bird lifted itself off its owner's shoulder and flew above the girls.

Two quick 'hoots' told the Goddess of Strategic Warfare that the sound was not a threat. "Is someone here?" she called out, making sure she kept her voice non-threatening. "I would like to meet you, my name is Athena."

"I wonder if it's Anubis Ma'at-san," Kusanagi wondered out loud. "He likes to hang out here with Master Thoth."

"Does he attend classes?"

"No, he speaks in a language that no one but Master Thoth understands."

"Hmmm...," Athena hummed to herself, tapping her index finger on her lips. She began to speak in a long dead dialect, and grinned in triumph when a head full of dark hair peeked out.

Anubis Ma'at, the God of the Dead, looked at the newcomer with glistening dark purple eyes. How did she know his language? Shyly, he responded as he stayed behind the bookcase. Athena answered back and gave a warm smile, using her hand to beckon him closer. The god hesitated. The woman seemed nice and she was with Kusanagi Yui, so maybe he could trust her.

Once again Athena spoke in the ancient language as she watched the young god inch his way out. He was definitely Egyptian from his appearance. The dog-like actions spoke to the fact that he was indeed the Jackal Dog, Anubis.

The Japanese teen could only look on as she watched the two deities converse in the odd language. She had to smile at the cute and timid way Anubis approached Athena. She could tell he was excited and curious, but cautious too. He was obviously enjoying the fact that someone else could talk to him, and soon he was becoming more animated in his speech.

Athena giggled at something Anubis had said and began to stoke the top of his head, causing his tufts of hair to stick up like a dog's ears would. He closed his eyes in bliss as he enjoyed the petting motion.

"I think he likes you," Yui said with a chuckle.

"I think he's adorable!" Athena replied with wink. "Who would have thought the God of Death could be such a sweetie!"

"Hades-san as the God of the Underworld is quite nice himself," the teen pointed out. "People probably view gods like that in a negative light because of how they are tied to death."

The goddess gave a fond smile as she kept absently stroking Anubis' head. "Touche. Apollon immediately took to Hades while everyone else kept their distance. He never let the curse scare him away from his beloved Uncle."

Kusanagi had to calm her excitement. This was her chance to hopefully find out more about what happened in the Underworld that put an end to Apollon's visits.

The human girl didn't know why she had to know so badly, but for some reason her curiosity wouldn't let it be. It was like she was compelled to help fix something special that had been unjustly broken.

Just like Apollon had encouraged her and the other gods in the past, she was going to do her best to bring her friend back to the happiness he used to have before the tragedy of Cassandra.

*Thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved, or follow this story!*


	7. Chapter 7

Here is the next chapter...finally. Had to do a lot of rewriting. Hope it helped to make the flow better ^^

Thanks to all who reviewed, faved or follow this story! I really appreciate it!

CHAPTER 7

Hades had begun to walk to his room when he heard a knock at their front door. Normally they didn't have visitors, so it surprised the God of the Underworld when he opened the door and found the two Japanese gods standing on the other side.

"Is Apollon Agana Belea on the premises at the moment?" Tsukito asked calmly as he petted his white rabbit.

"Yes, actually he just got back," Hades replied. He motioned for the younger gods to enter inside. "Sit down wherever you'd like and I'll call him for you."

Dionysus was walking out of the kitchen when he spied his uncle climbing the staircase and heading towards Apollon's bedroom. "He's taking a shower," the God of Fertility told the older deity. "Is there something up?"

"Apollon has visitors," Hades explained. "It is Tsukito and Takeru."

The red haired god rubbed at his chin. Well that was a first. Apollon was always the one going to meet Tsukito. Maybe he should check the situation out before allowing his little brother to see them. "I'll keep them company while Sunny Shine gets all squeaky clean." He ambled into the living room and greeted the two gods cheerfully, purposely placing himself between the brothers on the sofa.

"Don't tell me that you missed me!" Dionysus teased.

"We're not here for you," Takeru grumbled, scooting as far as he could from the Greek god.

"We have come to see Apollon Agana Belea," Tsukito said flatly. "Is he mentally capable to accept visitors?"

"Whah?!" A dark brow rose in incredulity as Dionysus sat up straighter. Okay, that was an odd way to phrase that. "The last I saw, he still had his wits about him."

"Tsuki-Tsuki! Take-Take!" an excited voice said suddenly, announcing the arrival of the Sun God. Dressed in a t-shirt and sweat pants, Apollon gave his two guests a beaming smile as he raced down the stairs to meet them.

Tsukito rose quickly and offered his rabbit. "Please take Usamaro."

"Bunny-Bunny?" Apollon asked as he gently took hold of the timid creature. It was rare for Tsukito to allow anyone other than his brother to hold his pet.

"Now stroke his fur repeatedly."

"Uhm, ok." The Greek god did as he was told, his bright green eyes looking between his Japanese friend and the white animal in his arms.

"Has your stress and anxiety dissipated?" Tsukito inquired in an impersonal voice. Receiving an affirmative nod, the Moon God retook possession of Usamaro. "Then the article was correct in it's summation about the effects of petting animals to the emotional well being of a person."

"Is that what that was?" Dionysus asked, sharing a confused look with Takeru, who shrugged in response.

"Thank you for letting me pet Bunny-Bunny," Apollon exclaimed happily. "Since you are both here, would you like to play a game? We still have some time before we need to get to bed. I looked up games that humans like to play and got some from the student store!"

"I will have to decline your offer," Tsukito answered blandly. "My mission was to make sure you were able to perform your normal tasks without the added distress placed upon you by my younger sibling and the two Norse gods."

"B-brother!" Takeru protested. "Did you have to state it that way?!"

The golden haired god gave a quizzical look. "Distress?" His face brightened when he realized what Tsukito was referring to. "Oh! You mean about Fairy...it is all fine now! We had a wonderful talk and she was never upset at me."

"As I assumed," Tsukito nodded sagely. "Still, the assertions made against you by our fellow gods did cause some discord emotionally, correct?"

Apollon shrugged sheepishly. "I was worried about upsetting everyone."

Letting out a loud groan, Takeru rubbed the back of his neck before rising from the sofa. Now was as good a time as any to get this over with. "I-I overreacted earlier," he admitted grudgingly. "The others and I shouldn't have made you feel like you couldn't be around the Weed at all."

"Take-Take, don't worry about it," Apollon said with a smile. "We only need to think about the future and growing stronger in our bonds of friendship." He glanced between the two Japanese gods eagerly. "Are you sure you won't reconsider playing a game with me? I found one called "Life" and you get to chose what kind of human life you want! Doesn't that sound kalos?"

"We still have classes in the morning, but maybe the game can be played on one of our two days off," Tsukito relented. "The humans call it 'weekend'?"

"Yes! Yes!" the Sun God concurred happily. "I am sure we will have a lot of fun and learn lots more about humanity!" He then turned his sunny visage towards his uncle. "We always had such fun playing games, didn't we Uncle Hades."

The morose god jerked a little in surprise. "Y-yes, you could say it passed the time efficiently enough," he agreed reluctantly.

Takeru did a double take. "You played games?!" He couldn't imagine the imposing figure before him doing something like that.

"Unlce Hades would read me stories and play fun and challenging games every time!" Apollon explained with pure joy on his face. "He was the best storyteller!"

Clearing his throat, The God of the Underworld placed a hand upon his excitable nephew's shoulder. If Apollon kept this up, his reputation as a brooding and angst-ridden god would be in danger. "It was many, many years ago, and you were much younger then. Lets not prevent our fellow classmates from returning to their dorm room by discussing things in the past."

"Okay," the Sun God readily agreed before giving a Tsukito a gentle hug (as he was being mindful of Bunny-Bunny still in his owner's arms). He went to grab a hold of Takeru, but the Sea God stepped back, avoiding the touch.

Dionysus snuck in behind Takeru, giving a firm shove to the Japanese god's back which sent him back in Apollon's direction; who happily encased the younger male in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Take-Take for coming to cheer me up!" Apollon said gleefully.

Takeru quickly extracted himself from the overly affectionate Greek. "Yeah," he muttered in response as he looked to his older brother. "Can we go now?"

Tsukito nodded and he joined his younger sibling in walking to the front door of the palatial dorm room. "We will come by on Saturday to partake in the game. What time would be convenient?"

"How about we do it after supper? We can play and then eat snacks later!" The Sun God replied excitedly. "Oh! I have to invite Fairy too!" His enthusiasm waned when he thought of the Norse gods. "But what about Bal-Bal, Loki-Loki and Thor-Thor? There would be too many people then to play the game."

"Have them over on Sunday, and play a different game with them," Dionysus suggested.

Apollon shot his fisted hand into the air. "Great idea, Dee-Dee! I can't wait to tell the others! I will ask Fairy to come and play both games. It will be the greatest time!"

As the two Japanese gods began to leave, Tsukito glanced back at the Greeks and one in particular caught his attention. Hades was looking over at his younger nephew with a warm smile on his face. The God of the Underworld smiling? He returned his focus back to the front door and noticed his brother had been looking in the same direction as he had been.

"I'll see you tomorrow in class!" Apollon said in parting, opening the door for his friends. "Thank you again for coming over!"

"Bye!" Takeru said over his shoulder as he hurried out into the hallway, worried that he'd get glomped again by "Mr. Huggles"

"I concur, we will again meet in the classroom," Tsukito said as he followed his brother out.

"Nite-nite Tsuki-Tsuki and Take-Take!" the blond Greek called out to his fellow gods as he stuck his head out the door and waved. As he closed the door, his body began to glow softly in pure happiness.

Dionysus and Hades looked on in amazement. Their youngest member hadn't reacted that way since Cassandra's death. The two gods shared a knowing glance.

This was good...their ray of light was beginning to shine brightly again!

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Hera evened her breathing as she listened to Gaia explain how Zeus thought the box became cursed when Cassandra killed herself after accepting the divine gift. Apollon was also cursed since he had given her some of his own power.

Good, her ignoramus husband had no clue she was actually the one who cursed the box. Still, one thing bothered her. Squaring her shoulders, the Queen of the Heavens pointed at the glowing object in Gaia's hand. "How did you come to possess the box? Didn't the power get absorbed into Cassandra's body when she opened it?"

The Goddess of the Earth clasped her fingers around the divine gift and lifted it closer to her upper body. "As she was a mortal, her death caused the power to extract from her body and revert it back into its original form. One of my animal friends found the box lying at the river bank where the girl had died and brought it to me. I had no idea it belonged to Apollon at the time."

She then smirked at her fellow goddess. "When I opened the box, I saw your intense loathing of our beloved Sun God. Every nasty thing you ever did or thought towards him came gushing forward like a river released from a dam."

"How can that be? The box was only supposed to curse that fool and his insipid lover. I added the false vision to push the girl over the edge," Hera admitted. "The box wasn't meant for anything more than that."

Gaia shook her head. "Hera, Hera, Hera," she chided. "You used a dark magic fueled by your hatred to create such a deceptive device, so naturally it absorbed your memories as well as your feelings towards Apollon. Even though the box did as it was created to do, it still held onto your magical imprint."

Her eyes widening in alarm, Hera reached out for the box. "Give that to me! It needs to be destroyed!"

Coyly, Gaia gave a flip of her wrist, causing the magical object to disappear. "That box is still useful to me, my Queen. I will hold onto it a bit longer."

Furious, Hera said through clenched teeth, "Are you trying to force me to comply? Don't fool with me! I will agree to help you, but my price is the return of my box."

The Goddess of the Earth walked purposely towards the younger goddess, her features hard and cold. "Do I need to remind you who was alive decades before you were even created? I will dictate what you will or will not receive."

The Queen of the Heavens quickly calmed herself and decided to try a different approach. "What need do you have with the box anymore? You know about everything I did to Apollon. If that box falls into the wrong hands, Zeus' wrath will be terrible against me!"

"That box has some of Apollon's essence left in it," Gaia answered. "You siphoned a small amount of his prophetic ability one night as he lay in a deep slumber due to your drugging of his wine. His power was then used to fuel the false vision to Cassandra and then the remnant was to be used on Zeus."

"Yes, I did take some of that buffoon's prophesy gift, but only enough to fulfill my plans. That box can't provide any more prophesies."

"And I must congratulate your ingenuity on those false prophesies!" Gaia said, clasping her hands together with a mocking smile. "The human girl's was quite cruel, but very effective. I can understand her not wanting the future she saw. She rebuff's Apollon's love as her fame as a prophetess grows, and in retaliation, he curses the gift he gave her, causing no one to believe her words, no matter how accurate they were. She dies alone as the one who claimed to love her turns his back to her suffering."

The Goddess of Marriage couldn't hide the pride in her voice. "Yes, I played on her weak constitution for maximum effect."

"But, don't you think the vision for Zeus was a bit too much? Why didn't you wait to let the curse take its toll on Apollon? You had to realize Zeus would try and save his precious son before being forced to destroy him completely."

Hera's haughty attitude diminished as she listened to the Earth Goddess' astute assessment of her hubris over her husband's prophesy. "I worried the curse would take too long to overtake Apollon, or that somehow he would be able to defeat it. His annoying cheerfulness and his pure love are innate to his being, so I could not hope for the fast outcome like I had with Cassandra. I wanted to strike while the imbecile was wallowing in guilt and sadness so it would seem more plausible for Apollon to commit such an apocalyptic act."

"Even though I overrode your vison with my own, Zeus still delayed in dealing with Apollon's dark future, and the Sun God was able to slow down the curse's effects because he found happiness in helping others," Gaia surmised. "It had to be very frustrating for you."

Her brown eyes flashing, Hera gave a derisive huff. "More like infuriating! That box only reminds me of how close I came to almost ridding myself of that insufferable changeling. It needs to be destroyed once and for all!"

"As I said, there is still a trace of Apollon in the box. It will be a help in my plan. When it becomes unnecessary, then and only then will I allow the box to be destroyed."

Hera wanted to argue the point, but if Gaia was indeed influenced by the curse, it would not do any good to direct the Earth Goddess' anger her way. "As long as you swear not to use the box as leverage against me, I will help you as best I can."

"I do swear it, my Queen," Gaia replied, with a dip of her head.

"Fine." The Goddess of Marriage sat back down on her settee and offered for the older female to join her. "What is this plan you have in mind?"

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Athena looked intently at the teenaged girl, and watched the hazel eyes widen in excitement and curiosity at the mention of her little brother's attachment to the God of the Underworld. Giving Anubis' head one last pet, she said something to him in the ancient dialect and waved in parting.

"We had better get to the student store," the statuesque goddess said to Yui as she exited the library. Nodding in agreement, Kusanagi followed Athena out into the hallway.

As they walked down the long corridor that led to the student store, Yui saw this as her chance to start up the conversation about Apollon again. But before she could utter a word, the Goddess of Wisdom spoke first.

"Let me guess, my darling little brother told you quite a bit about himself, but yet not enough, which is driving you crazy in curiosity?" Athena gave a kind smile at the human girl who flushed in embarrassment. Wrapping her arm around Yui's shoulder, she gave the teen a gentle squeeze. "I totally understand. It's some sort of male defect...not being able to give the full details. Once we get back to your dorm room, I will do my best to try and fill in the missing pieces."

Yui beamed up at the goddess, a little surprised at the compassion and understanding from the immortal. It was like having a older sister or mentor, who had gained wisdom due to her experiences in life. Apollon was truly blessed to have someone like her who adored him so much.

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As they walked back to their shared living quarters, the image of Hades smiling at Apollon kept popping up into Takeru's mind. What was the older god smiling about? And why in the heavenly realms would an admitted loner be playing games and reading stories with a younger Sun God? Man, if Apollon was a bit on the excitable side now, he had to be uber hyper as a kid! The voice of his older brother shook the Sea God out of his thoughts.

"Are you contemplating the look of happiness on Hades Aidoneus' face as I am?" Tsukito asked.

"Yeah," Takeru admitted. "I've never seen him give such a look before, even when he eats those strawberry rice cakes. It was like he was glad Apollon was so happy."

"I surmise it has to do with what Dionysus Thyrsos mentioned earlier, about how Apollon Agana Belea was starting to return to his normal self. The Sun God was brought here to overcome some obstacle like the rest of us."

"Did Apollon ever tell you the full story of what happened the night his shackle came off?"

The Moon God shook his head. "I only know of what was spoken of in the classroom the next day. He had finally come to terms with something tragic that happened in the past, and his ring shattered, signaling he had passed his trial and could graduate."

"I guess I never gave much thought as to what Apollon's issues were. He was always so enthusiastic and upbeat that you'd think his life was perfect," Takeru said in bemusement. "Kinda makes you wonder what happened to make his family so protective of him."

As he entered inside their Oriental themed living quarters, Tsukito gently kicked off his shoes and turned to his brother. "If you are that curious, maybe you should ask them."

Pondering his older sibling's words, Takeru took off his sandals and followed inside.

Maybe he would ask Hades tomorrow about what happened.


	8. Chapter 8

*Author's note at end of chapter-nothing bad, I promise ;)*

CHAPTER 8

Athena left the student store with several shopping bags full of clothes, absolute pleasure evident on her beaming face. She had even managed to convince Yui to get herself some extra clothes, irritated at Zeus' lack of understanding of what a girl needs to get by in the world. Sadly, ignorance was another male trait, along with a serious deficit of how to communicate their thoughts properly.

Yui glanced down at her two shopping bags, feeling the rush of a big shipping trip. At first she felt guilty about asking for more clothes, but her new roommate told her that it was Zeus' duty to treat her to a full wardrobe that a normal high school girl should have. She had to admit, the Goddess of Wisdom had a wonderful sense of fashion. Her clothes were functional as well as tasteful. It also surprised her that Athena had a bit of a 'girly' side too. She pictured the goddess to be more of a tomboy type since she was built like an athlete and dealt with the strategic side of warfare.

What excited the Japanese teenager more was the promise of finally getting some answers about Apollon. She couldn't get to her dorm room fast enough. Still, she had to make sure that Athena was settled in properly and also prepared to take on teaching the younger gods. Those two tasks battled in her mind as to what to do first, when she suddenly found herself facing her front door.

"This is my...our room," Kusanagi said as she opened the door and beckoned for the goddess to follow her in. Her mouth fell open in surprise as her bags fell from her grip and onto the floor. The room had totally changed! Now there was two separate sleeping areas, each one complete with a large closet and private bathroom. Zeus managed to fit all that into her living quarters?!

Athena entered inside and glanced around, nodding her head in approval. "Father did rather well, considering he normally doesn't have good taste in decorating." The raven haired beauty tilted her head towards the left side of the living space. "I'll go settle into my room real quick and we can relax and do some talking."

"I'll put my things away too," Yui answered back, curious to see what else had changed about her room. Cautiously she walked to her new bathroom, shocked at how much bigger it had gotten. Not only that, she now had a walk in closet where before she only had a modest sized armoire. She couldn't understand why she got all new things too. It was only natural that Zeus would create more room for his daughter to stay there comfortably, but why did she get upgraded as well?

Grateful for the improvements, the human girl hurried to place her new clothes into the expansive closet. Even her school uniform was waiting for her there. Maybe Zeus realized after the haul of clothes they got at the student store that they would need more storage?

After about fifteen minutes, Kusanagi was done with her temporary organizing, eager to get back to the Goddess of Wisdom and the awaiting 'talk'. She peered out from the doorway of her room to see if Athena was done and waiting for her, but seeing no one, the teenager decided to hurry and put on her pajamas. It was getting late, and who knew how long they would be up discussing things.

The Greek goddess was still not out of her room when Yui entered the main living area, tying the satin belt to close her robe. Was everything ok? Maybe she shouldn't have assumed the female deity would be fine on her own so soon. Her worry turned to relief when Athena left her bedchamber, wearing a mid-length, pull over nightgown.

"Excellent!" the raven haired goddess exclaimed happily. "It was like you read my mind! I was hoping we would be in our nightclothes, having one of those activities they call a slumber party."

Yui had to smile at the Greek immortal. It was going to be so much fun to have another female around who wasn't a spirit! And it also seemed that she wouldn't have to instruct Athena as much on the ways of human life as she had to with the other gods.

Kusanagi glanced around, looking for the white bird. "Where is your pet owl?"

"I let him out of my bedroom window. He is a creature of the night, so that is when he hunts."

"I was going to get myself a glass of water, would you like a glass as well?" the Japanese teen asked, walking into the kitchen. Receiving an affirmative nod from the goddess, she filled two glasses with water from her refrigerator, and carried them into the living room, joining Athena as she sat down on her new, more roomy and comfortable couch.

"Thank you!" the Goddess of Wisdom said, accepting the glass of clear liquid. Taking a quick sip, she turned to face Kusanagi and winked. "I'm sure you're all full of questions, so lets start from the beginning. Tell me what Apollon said, and I'll try to fill in the spaces."

"Is that alright?" Yui asked. "Don't you have things you need to prepare for your classes tomorrow?"

Giving a dismissive flip of her wrist, Athena shook her head. "No, I got everything I needed when we stopped at the library and student store. And I told Father telepathically what teaching tools I needed, and he sent them to my classrooms already."

Yui's eyes shot open in surprise. "That is amazing!"

Athena smiled and tapped the side of her head with her index finger. "It's all in mind. You can say its like having a photographic memory, but with more power behind it."

"Can you move things with your mind?"

"Yes," the goddess replied. "But enough about me. I'm more eager to talk about my precious little brother."

Yui took a couple drinks of water before starting her questioning. Where should she begin? The teenager decided to start with when she caught up with the Sun God at the tennis court. "I saw Apollon-san make these beautiful balls of light that floated up into the air. I thought they were from his sun powers, but he told me he was also the God of Light. I had no idea he had that power too."

Athena nodded. "He is mostly associated with the Sun, but he was actually worshiped as the God of Light at first. Of course the Sun and Light powers are closely related, but there are some differences."

"In what ways?"

"I'm sure you know the Sun is an intense ball of blinding light, searing heat and flame. It is raw power. One of the most powerful forces in the universe actually. Light on the other hand is a byproduct of the Sun. The human body is instantly drawn to light. It gives off warmth, helps us to see, and even helps you emotionally."

Yui's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, like how a beautiful day can help lighten a bad mood?"

"Exactly!"

"So is the Norse God of Light, Balder-san, connected to the sun also?"

The goddess shook her head emphatically. "Oh no! His power plays off the Sun's raw power. Whereas Apollon is a part of the Sun, so he has more control over the power of Light than even Balder."

"Apollon-san is that powerful?" Yui asked in awe.

Athena smiled proudly. "Yes! He has the power of the Sun, the power of Light from the Sun and even the power of Fire that is related to the Sun's flames."

"Then where does the Norse God of Fire, Loki-san get his power from? Is it from the Sun?"

"No, his power of Fire is more Earth based, like the molten lava that is in the middle of the planet. The Sun's flames are more intense than even that."

A sudden thought struck Kusanagi as she tried to soak in the magnitude of her friend's power level. "Could Apollon-san have a destructive side like Balder-san because of the Light power?"

Athena's black eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Balder is controlled by Light, hence the battle inside him over Light and Darkness. Apollon doesn't have to deal with that since the Sun doesn't get consumed by darkness. It can be hidden from view, but the Sun stays the same."

Yui let out the breath she was holding in relief. "Apollon-san said his Light powers were different than Balder-san's. I've never felt something like that Feeling power, not even from Balder-san, and he draws all the other students to him without any effort on his part."

Athena shrugged. "Maybe that is why you were chosen, because you aren't affected or swayed by divine powers. Also, Apollon's Feeling power can't be duplicated by other Gods of Light because it is mixed with his power of Healing."

Kusanagi looked at the goddess in astonishment. "Healing?"

"Yes, he is also the God of Healing," the Goddess of Wisdom confirmed. "While the Light power makes you feel warm and content, his Healing ability is added to 'heal' any inner anxiety, sadness, stress, or pain, so it amplifies your happiness three-fold."

Yui gave the immortal a confused look. "Then why is he not suppose to use it? He told me it didn't drain him in any way."

Lowering her head, the raven haired goddess sighed before answering. "That was decided by Father. I'm sure you've noticed Apollon's propensity to please everyone. It's in his nature to love, and he wants to see everyone happy. As I mentioned earlier tonight, Apollon would bathe the world in it every day. But it would interfere with human will, so it is better that he doesn't get into the habit of using his Feeling power often."

"He told me he would use his Feeling power all time in the Underworld. So was that allowed because the people there are no longer among the living?"

Athena nodded. "Correct. Apollon would visit Hades once every week and he would bathe the Underworld in his Light and Feeling powers. He wanted to give the dead some bit of comfort since they could no longer decide their fates."

Yui smiled at the Sun God's thoughtfulness. "Apollon-san has such a big heart on him. I'm sure that made him so happy to be able to do that." She frowned slightly before asking her next question. "Then why is he not allowed to stay with Hades-san anymore in the Underworld? He told me he missed being able to visit there. Did something bad happen?"

"Yes, something bad did happen. Apollon was around the age the humans would call preteen." The Goddess of Wisdom looked off to the side while she absently ran her index finger repeatedly over the rim of her drinking glass. "Have you ever heard of the ancient group of gods called The Titans?"

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The three Norse gods sat quietly in their spacious living room, thinking about all the things said to them that evening. Loki watched Thor intently. It was so rare for his brother to speak like that. Even more weird was Dionysus showing his irritation at how his little brother was being treated. That guy was always Mr. Cool and Mellow, never letting anything bother him.

Come to think of it, why was Dionysus and Thor even here for that matter? The God of Fire figured that Thor was there to help contain Balder if his destructive persona came into play, but why was the God of Wine and Fertility brought to the Academy? He mostly slept in class, and only joined in things to please Apollon. It was very obvious he wasn't trying that hard to pass. Was he here to help the Sun God for some reason? Hades also seemed to be keeping an eye on the youngest of the Greek gods. What was up with that?

Loki rubbed at his chin, deep in thought. They were all excited when they found out Apollon's shackle had come off, but did anyone know what his issue with humanity was? The Sun God seemed the least likely candidate to be brought to the school. That was why he thought at first the blond Greek was placed there to make Zeus' plan a success. Apollon was always so cheerful, positive and accommodating that it was hard to imagine what he could've done to cause his own rift with the human realm.

"Balder, did Apollon ever tell you what happened the night he broke off his shakle?" Loki blurted out, surprising his fellow Norsemen.

"I don't know any more than you," The God of Light admitted. "I have wondered more than once what really took place."

"As have I," Thor added. "Hades, Dionysus, and Kusanagi obviously witnessed the event. And remember how odd Apollon was acting that day?"

"Yeah, it was like he was two different people," Loki recalled.

"Oh, I hope he doesn't have a destructive side like me," Balder said in worry. "I hate to think of someone whose so pleasant and considerate having that burden."

The God of Thunder half snorted. "Being a Sun God, he could incinerate all in his path if he chose to tap into his full power. While Balder's rays of light are destructive enough, imagine having the power of the Sun itself at your beckon call."

Loki's mouth fell open in shock. "But...but he didn't show any of that kind of power while we were fighting to stop Balder..."

Turning gold eyes to his younger brother, Thor said plainly, "If Apollon had, he might've unintentionally destroyed the rest of us due to the intensity of his attack."

"Do you think its possible for him to have a darker side like me?" Balder asked.

Pausing, The God of Thunder thought about the question posed. "I don't think so," he answered cautiously, "since the Sun is the ultimate source of Light, he should have a better command of it. The Sun is always there, whether it is obscured by clouds or the moon. Light itself, on the other hand, can be engulfed by darkness. It is always a battle over one or the other."

"Are you implying Apollon can be a Light God too?" Loki questioned.

"He is," Thor replied. "He's also a Fire God ."

"No way! Like me?!"

Thor smirked. "His Fire power comes from the Sun; a bit different than yours."

Loki sank down further into his plush chair. "Whoa! To think he has that much power at his disposal! Makes me glad he's a likable doofus!"

"I'll take a likeable doofus over a pissed off Sun God any day," Thor commented with a slight smile. "I also wouldn't want a pissed off older brother and uncle either."

The God of Light lowered his head. "I would like to apologize to Agana Belea. I never gave a thought to how our talk would put him in a difficult position."

Looking away from his fellow Norsemen, Loki scratched at the side of his face to hide his self-consciousness. "He did look rather pathetic back at the cafeteria. I'm willing to cut him some slack...I'm not heartless."

The oldest of the three gods nodded his head in approval. "Whether you realize it now or not, you'll be glad in the end that you did set things straight."

Loki and Balder shared a knowing look before the God of Fire pointed his index finger at his brother and winked. "Don't get too cocky because you might be right for once," he teased.

Without missing a beat, Thor replied, "Whether you realize it now or not, big brothers are always right."

Laughing, Balder rose from his seated position and grabbed a hold of his best friend's arm. "Let's admit defeat and get ready for bed. We do have classes in the morning"

Shrugging, Loki obediently followed, throwing an impish smile in Thor's direction. Yeah, big brothers did come in handy once in a while.

*Okay, I wanted to explain somewhat why I wrote what I did in this chapter. I drew inspiration from the powers that were attributed to Apollon: Sun God, God of Light, and God of Fire. I then thought about the Sun, and how all three powers can be tied to it. I also thought about the drawing of Apollon from the game where he is surrounded in flame, which the Sun does shoot out (looooove that picture). So I logically went from that standpoint. The 'feeling' power was my invention to add to the plot. I wanted to give some variation between Apollon's powers and Balder's, and even Loki's. I gave Athena mind powers since she did spring from Zeus' head, so it would make sense she would have some of that...ala X-Men...wink wink.*

Thanks to all who are reading, reviewed or faved. I really appreciate it!


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry this has taken so long to post. I kept rewriting this chapter, not pleased with the flow.

Thanks again to any who have reviewed or faved or is just reading this story.

CHAPTER 9

Hera tried to hide her annoyance at the overly coy smile on the Earth Goddess' mouth. Why didn't she get on with the plan? Isn't that why Gaia devised this elaborate scheme to get into her private domain? What unnerved her more was the uncertainty of how far had the curse impacted Gaia. It was obvious the Mother of the Earth was affected, evidenced by the dark aura surrounding her, but did it totally control her emotions and thought process? Was Gaia now controlled by hatred and revenge? If so, how far would she go, and who all would suffer in the end?

"Do you have a plan in mind?" The Goddess of Marriage finally asked as the silence stripped away her patience second by second.

"Why did you make a new prophesy box instead of cursing the one Apollon had already created?"

The sudden question surprised the younger goddess. "I had to create another copy because I needed it to produce a false prophesy."

"Do you still have his prophesy box?"

"No! I had to destroy it immediately. I couldn't run the risk of anyone coming across it."

"Hm-m..., I see," Gaia said with a nod of her head. "The spell had to have taken quite a bit of time to concoct, so I'm curious as to how you were able to do it on such short notice. Also, how did you even know about Apollon's box in the first place?"

Deciding to placate the nosey Earth Goddess for now, Hera answered somewhat tersely, "I overheard the fool and Zeus arguing about the issue one night. Zeus was lecturing him about giving divine powers to mortals, and Apollon was arguing that he saw nothing wrong in doing it if it was done for the purpose of love."

"Apollon should have listened to his father," Gaia mused out loud.

"For once my husband was correct," Hera had to agree. "But it also opened up an excellent opportunity for me to use the cretin's own power against him. I just kept watch, and once I saw him make that little box, I already had my spell ready. When he went to perform his daily task of bringing up the Sun, I cursed my box and switched it with his before he returned."

"You had already chosen the perfect mortal for Apollon to fall in love with, so I could see how it all fit perfectly in your plan. I did have suspicions that she was only attracted to our Sun God because of his handsomeness and powers. But in the end, she really did love Apollon, enough to wander the Spirit world to watch over him and to try to ease his pain and guilt."

"Hmph! I even had that under control until that human girl, Kusanagi Yui, allowed Cassandra to possess her body to talk to the buffoon."

Gaia pointed to the pedestal with the basin of water on top. "Speaking of the 'buffoon', can we take a peek at what he is doing?"

Crossing her arms across her chest, Hera eyed the other goddess warily. "I thought we were supposed to be discussing your plan to be rid of him?"

"This is part of the plan. I want the portal you look through opened so I can test a theory I have."

Rolling her brown eyes, Hera barked out, "Fine!" Her hand glowed a soft blue as she ran it over the basin of water. Almost instantly they were shown the suite the Greek gods resided in. The female goddesses watched Apollon interact with his brother and uncle.

"Seems like Apollon is planning something," Gaia observed. "He seems so excited."

"Yes, and his excitability grates on my nerves," Hera said in a near hiss. "Hurry and run your test before I get a bad headache from watching that nuisance."

"Are the various gods the only students at this school?"

"No, Zeus conjured up a sizeable amount of spirits to mimic fellow classmates. Why?"

The Earth Goddess gave a jeering smile that made Hera's skin crawl. It was more like a smile a fiend would wear. "Excellent! My plan will work brilliantly after all!" Before the other deity could ask, Gaia raised her right arm and pointed it towards the jeweled tree. Seconds later, a soft buzzing noise could be heard and a tiny insect came into view, landing in Mother Earth's open palm.

"A mosquito? Your 'plan' is an insect?!" The Goddess of Marriage didn't know if she should be furious or laugh at the absurdity.

"I had to create something small so it could escape Zeus' notice," Gaia explained as she brought the mosquito towards the bowl of water. "Keep the portal open." She then turned her attention to her tiny minion. "Find the biggest and strongest male spirit there and fulfill your mission." The insect left her hand and dove into the water, disappearing from sight.

"What was that about?"

Giving a cruel grin, Gaia looked down into the bowl. "Why don't we leave our dear Sun God to his planning. He might as well enjoy what little time he has left before we abolish his role in the universe."

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Dionysus watched his younger brother search with excitement through the cupboards in their kitchen. With an amused shake of his head, he rose from the kitchen chair he was sitting in and gently slapped the occupied blond below the back of his neck. "Sunny Shine, calm down! The game night is two days away, so you don't need to get everything in order tonight."

"But...I want everything to be perfect!" Apollon protested. "I want them to enjoy themselves and have the best time ever. I don't even know what kinds of snacks they would prefer!"

"Settle down, and think things through. Perfection can get in the way of having fun. You ought to know that more than anyone, Mr. Spontaneous."

His shoulders slumping, Apollon let out a sigh. "You're right Dee-Dee. I'm letting my expectations control everything. I just don't want to disappoint my friends."

The God of Fertility grinned. "You only need to be yourself, ok? Don't sweat over small details. The games will provide the fun and comradery you're wanting."

"Your brother is correct," Hades agreed with a nod of his head. "Just focus on having a nice time with your friends and the evening will take care of itself."

The Sun God gave a beaming smile. "I can't wait for you to join in too, Uncle Hades!"

The elder god closed his eyes, not wanting to see the look on his nephew's face at his answer. "I will not be partaking."

"What?! Why not?!"

"I will only cause everyone to lose, and wallow in the bitterness of defeat."

Apollon stood in front of his beloved uncle, folding his arms across his chest. "I will not have this game night if you won't be there," he threatened with a stern frown.

The God of the Underworld's head snapped up. "Do you want your enjoyment ruined because I caused misfortune?!"

Apollon's face softened into a gentle smile. "Your curse never frightened me away, and now you have friends who are willing to spend time with you." He then shook his blond mane of hair as his frown returned. "The only 'misfortune' that will happen is if you refuse to come and your poor nephew is off pouting 'ALONE' in his room because he cancelled everything."

The tiniest of smirks played at the corner of Hades' mouth. "I didn't think you had it in you to try a guilt trip."

"Did it work?" The Sun God asked eagerly. "Please tell me it worked!"

"You suck at this," Dionysus jabbed at his brother. "All that's missing is the wagging tail."

"Being compared to a puppy is not a bad thing," the blond god countered.

"Let's end this discussion now and get ready for bed," The God of the Underworld interjected. He turned to his younger nephew. "And I will share in your game night, but if things start to go badly, I reserve the right to leave."

Nodding happily, Apollon gave his uncle a quick hug, which the older god instantly pulled away from. Hades wanted to scold his nephew for the thousandth time about unnecessary physical contact, but the chastisement died on his lips at the look of pure joy on the Sun God's face.

Damn. He was too much of a soft touch when it came to Apollon.

"Nite! Nite!" The youngest of the Greeks called out as he began to race up the stairs to his room.

"Sucker," Dionysus whispered to his uncle in passing. Joining his brother on the staircase, he teased, "Hey lil' Bro, do you need to go outside and do your business like a good little doggie?"

Apollon smirked. "I'm fine Dee-Dee, but if I need to go, I'll just do it on the rug beside your bed."

"O-o-o...first you try your hand at blackmail, and now you're trying to be mean to your big brother."

Letting out a little giggle, The Sun God shot back, "Consider it fertilizer for your grapes!" He ducked a punch Dionysus threw towards his shoulder and rushed into his bedroom, slamming the door shut in his older brother's face.

"And your jokes suck too!" The God of Wine yelled half-heartedly at the closed door. Turning away from his brother's room, he wore a smile, pleased with the teasing banter. That was another good sign that Apollon was starting to act like his old shelf again.

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Over at the girls' dormitory, Yui and Athena were still wide awake, despite the late hour. Neither female took note of the time, both wrapped up in the discussion they started.

"I do recall hearing of the Titans," Yui admitted, "but I couldn't tell you for sure who they were. Aren't they locked away somewhere?"

"Yes, the Pit of Tartarus, which is in the Underworld."

The Japanese teen felt her gut tighten. Apollon-san used to visit the Underworld...was some harm done to him by these "Titans"?

Athena continued on. "The Titans were the children of the first gods, Uranus and his wife, Gaia. Humans like to call her Mother Earth or Mother Nature. Their eldest son, Cronos, and his four brothers, Crius, Coeus, Hyperion, and Iapertus conspired to overthrow their father. Cronos then became the leader of the gods. Hades, Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus were Cronos's children."

"Hera and Zeus are brother and sister!" Kusanagi then smiled. "I take it's another 'god thing'?"

The Goddess of Wisdom gave a small grin. "Exactly!"

Placing an index finger to her chin, Yui recalled something said to her by Thoth. "Isn't Cronos the God of Time?"

"The name is similar, and both were gods of time. Cronos is the God of Destructive Time, while Chronos is the God of Time."

The goddess' lovely features turned serious before proceeding with the Titans' tale. She decided to shorten some of the details so not to overwhelm her human roommate. "Zeus decided to take the throne from Cronos because of his cruelty. But Cronos wouldn't give up the throne easily so a ten year war broke out. The second generation of Titans mostly sided with Father, but Cronos and his brothers were thrown into the Pit of Tartarus and imprisoned for eternity."

"Apollon-san had a run-in with them, didn't he?" the teen guessed.

"Apollon would light up the whole Underworld before his return to Olympus, and that included the Pit of Tartarus. One day Father was down there to talk to Hades, and he found Apollon lighting up the area the Titans were held in. He became furious, and my little brother was banned from ever entering into the Underworld again. Hades never went near the Pit, so he had no idea Apollon was stopping there every week, but when he found out, he agreed to the ban as well."

Yui dropped her head. "How sad! To think the ban has lasted to this day." She turned her chestnut colored eyes to meet the goddess'. "Apollon-san is grown now, so why can't he decide himself to go down to the Underworld?"

"It works a bit differently for gods. Zeus is the supreme god and we are all under his authority. It is within his power to punish any of us if we disobey his wishes. Just because we are 'adults', we are still bound to his rules."

"So you can't do what you like?"

"Oh we do!" Athena hurried to add. "Father is actually pretty lenient in letting us do our own things, but the Titans are a taboo subject." Her face turned sorrowful as she looked away. "Apollon knows there will be a severe punishment if he defies Father's command. Even if he did go against the ban, no one is allowed into the Underworld unless Hades permits it, so he would deny access because he wouldn't want any risk to Apollon."

Her fingers fisting into her lap, the Japanese teenager couldn't hide her indignation. "That is so unfair! I'm sure Apollon-san meant no harm, so why be so harsh?"

"In Father's defense, he is doing it to protect Apollon too. I agree, Apollon would never willingly betray his family, but Cronos is wily, and if he ever got his hands on my little brother..."

Yui looked away sheepishly. "Oh, I see. I still feel bad for Apollon-san and even Hades-san. I'm sure he suffered too since the ban."

The Goddess of Wisdom gave a slight nod of her head. "Hades became even more reclusive and standoffish after Apollon was banned." A sad smile formed on the female deity's mouth. "No one willingly visited the Underworld, except Apollon. Hades benefitted from the visitations more than the dead did."

Both women fell silent briefly as the teenager thought back through the first year of the academy, recalling how Hades at the outset kept away from everyone due to his curse, and it caused a question to come to her mind. "You mentioned Apollon-san had the ability to heal, so did he ever try to heal Hades-san's curse?"

Athena looked up startled, inwardly impressed at how astute the young girl was. "Apollon tried two different times when he was much younger, but Hades forbade it, saying the curse was not some kind of sickness or injury that could be healed. He was right."

The human girl nodded in understanding, her gaze drifting down to her now empty cup of water sitting on the coffee table in front of her. She could at least take some comfort that the Greek nephew and uncle were now interacting at the school.

She looked back at the goddess. "Do you think Zeus-san deliberately brought them here so they could be around each other again? I know it was to help the gods understand humanity and strengthen the link between them, but I get the sense there was much more to it than that."

Athena gave a light laugh. "Did you ever take notice of the logo the academy uses?"

"Yes, it looks like the Sun..." Yui's eyes became big as saucers at the realization.

"This whole school was created for Apollon," The Goddess of Wisdom said. "Out of all the symbols he could have chosen, why the Sun? Father's symbol is the lightening bolt. It would have made perfect sense if he had used that, since he was the one who created the school. I couldn't help but notice the Sun symbol was all over campus. Even the student uniforms have it." She then shrugged. "There is usually multiple reasons behind what Father does."

"So do you think that there is more to it than just helping Apollon-san get over Cassandra's death?"

"Oh, you know of Cassandra," Athena commented in a quiet voice. "Did Apollon tell you all that happened?"

"Actually, I initially witnessed it in a dream," Kusanagi admitted. "I heard the faint tinkling of bells and then saw floating flower petals around me. I was transported to what looked like ancient Greece, and I saw Apollon-san and Cassandra together in the clearing of a wooded area."

Athena bolted upright from her comfortable position on the couch. "You had 'visions' of the past?! What all were you shown?"

Yui then went into detail of her involvement with Cassandra, even adding in the odd behavior Apollon exhibited throughout that day. The Greek goddess listened intently, saying nothing until the human girl was done.

"So, Apollon acted like he was in a trance on and off?" Receiving an affirmative nod from the Japanese teenager, Athena continued in her line of thought. "And there was some kind of black mist that came out from his ring before he began thrashing about in his bed?"

"Zeus-san said the shackles reacted to what was inside the wearer's heart. He said Apollon-san had a dark shadow covering his," Yui explained. She looked anxiously at the female deity, who was frowning in consternation. "Is there something wrong, Athena-san?"

Realizing how she must've appeared to Kusanagi, Athena forced a slight smile. "I have a few questions that only Father can answer, so don't worry on it. You said Apollon passed, right? He finally accepted that Cassandra's choice to kill herself was her own, and not his doing."

The goddess lifted the sword necklace around Yui's neck and studied it a bit. "I wonder if this necklace was the reason you were able to see into the past."

Looking down at her 'forced' accessory, the human teen was confused. "It wasn't Cassandra who showed those visions to me?"

"I don't think so. The biggest clue was the last vision where Apollon finds her body. He would be the only one to have a memory of that. Also, you were viewing the scenes as a spectator. If it was Cassandra's memories, you'd only be seeing it through her perspective-looking through her eyes so to speak."

"Did they come from Apollon-san then?"

Athena shook her head. "The second vision rules him out. You were the only one who saw Cassandra open that box and her reaction to the future."

"What about Zeus-san?"

"I think he allowed Cassandra to appear here to end this tragedy once and for all." The Goddess of Strategic Warfare pointed to the necklace. "I think maybe her presence triggered the divine power inside of it."

"Divine?!" The Japanese teen was dumbfounded. "I had no idea it was so powerful."

"The Ama no Murakumo is an ancient artifact, and its well known by many different cultures, including yours. It chooses the person who is worthy to wear it."

"This necklace chose for me to come here?!"

"Father must've summoned the ancient power to help in his quest for the school, but the Ama no Murakumo selected you to fulfill the mission." The goddess let out a loud yawn, the action surprising her as her body suddenly felt heavy. "Is this what happens when the human body is tired?"

Yui smiled. "Yes, it must be close to bedtime..." She looked at the clock on the wall and let out a soft yelp in shock. "It's 2 A.M.! We should have been in bed hours ago!"

Athena reached out and hugged the teenager. "Then I will bid you goodnight and wake me when you get up."

The teen was shocked at the sudden, physical display, but she had to remind herself that the goddess was related to Apollon and Dionysus, so it would only be natural. She smiled at the deity. "I promise I will wake you. And thank you for answering my questions."

The two ladies left the couch and each went to their own personal bedroom, hoping they would be able to sleep after the topics they touched on that night.


	10. Chapter 10

*Italicized words mean the character is viewing something happening in front of them from the past*

**Chapter 10**

Sleep overtook Yui as soon as her head hit the pillow. Almost instantly after she closed her eyes in slumber, her senses came alive with the faint tinkling of bells, and the immediate area began to be surrounded by colorful prisms. Was she being transported back to the past again? But what was the reason this time? From what Athena had told her, the necklace obviously had something it wanted her to know, so the Japanese girl looked onward as she began her journey.

_Yui found herself walking into an expansive room with colossal columns made from alabaster, and below her feet were gleaming marbled floors. Gold and silver accents gave the area an even more opulent appearance. The view was awe inspiring and imposing at the same time. Kusanagi couldn't begin to describe the magnificence in front of her eyes, except for one word...perfection. Her eyes strayed from the lavish decor and landed upon a tiny figure sitting in the middle of the floor. _

_It was the most adorable baby boy! He had a head full of loose, golden curls that framed an angelic, round face with a gigantic pair of vibrant, green eyes. A baby-sized toga was draped over his little body, and the Japanese girl found herself wanting to pick the child up and cuddle him. Yet, something was wrong. Why was this baby all by himself? Yui looked around frantically. Where were his parents?!_

_A happy squeal turned Kusanagi's complete attention back onto the baby, who was now beginning to crawl off eagerly to the left side of the room. His body was glowing in a soft yellow color that gave him a more ethereal appearance. Yui hurried after the speedy little tot, and she came to the quick conclusion that this was no mortal baby. _

_This baby was none other than Apollon-san! _

_A thousand questions raced through her mind as she tried to keep pace with the crawling Sun God. Where was Athena-san? Where was Zeus?! How could they have left a defenseless baby by himself? She couldn't believe her new roommate would have willingly let Apollon-san out of her sight, so maybe someone else was supposed to be watching him?_

_Another happy squeal came from the tiny Sun God as he picked up a small, orange colored blob, and shoved it hastily into his mouth. Yui wanted to snatch the unknown object from him, but the baby was too quick. She could only hope it was food..._

_A few inches away was another orange blob and the baby instantly grabbed it, plopping it into his mouth once again. The teenager called out his name, but Apollon didn't acknowledge her presence, reaching for a second orange blob spaced about as far as the other one._

_Yui took her chance to rush past the baby, and onto the next orange blob; her goal to pick it up before it found its way into Apollon's mouth. But her body refused to move past the tiny Sun God, as if she was not to interfere with the scene before her. Kusanagi let out a frustrated huff of air. Of course, she was viewing something that had already happened in the past._

_As she looked beyond the baby deity, the teenager gasped in alarm as she viewed a trail of the orange blobs leading to a door that was slightly open. Was Apollon-san deliberately being directed there?! And what exactly were those orange things on the floor?_

_Apollon bounced up and down in a seated position. "Wornges! Wornges!" he chanted excitedly as he glowed even more. Soon he began to giggle, and Kusanagi found herself smiling at his actions, despite her concern about the situation._

_The baby Apollon did as Yui feared, and followed the trail of orange blobs straight to the open door. He paused for a moment and peered inside the doorframe, his face lighting up in joy when he saw more of the 'treats'. Kusanagi glanced inside too, and found a pathway made of smooth stones that led downward. Sure enough, there was evenly spaced orange blobs placed upon the path._

_Anxiety gripped the teenager at the thought of a little baby crawling down this pathway all by himself. What if he fell off the side? She couldn't tell for sure how high up they were, but Yui couldn't see any bottom either. Who would be so cruel to lead a child into a dangerous situation like this? _

_Once again, Apollon began to chant, "Wornges! Wornges!" This time, Kusanagi was able to make the connection to the Sun God's favorite food; oranges. Whoever was behind this scheme knew exactly how to snare the baby's attention._

_The Sun God began to glow brighter as he started crawling upon the stone pathway, snatching up orange pieces to plop into his mouth. Halfway down, he collected the fruit by the fist full, shoving them into a fold that was from the extra piece of cloth that draped over his shoulder and down the front and back of his toga. A gold sash tied around his waist kept the food from falling out. Kusanagi was amazed at the ingenuity of the little child, but she had to remember that he was a god, so convention was out the window._

_At first the pathway looked endless_ _to the teen, but the speed of the small deity had made quick time, and finally they were at the end. The baby came to a stop at the opening to a cavernous, depressive region, and positioned himself into a seated position. His gigantic eyes took in the dark surrounding all around him in wonder. This place was new and exciting! _

_Yui let out a relieved breath. Apollon-san had made it safely! Her alleviation was short lived as a terrifying howling sound echoed through the immediate area. Soon the dirt floor began to vibrate as if a herd of elephants were coming their way. Seeing what was racing towards them made Kusanagi wish a herd of elephants were indeed charging in their direction. It would have been much safer!_

_It was a massive beast with three separate heads connected to long necks that were attached to one main body. The heads resembled the Doberman Pincher dog breed, and each one had glowing red eyes with teal colored markings around them. The markings also traveled down around each of the front legs and more were near its backside. The tail was also the same color, but it looked more like a rat's than a dog's. Even the enormous, sharp nails were teal._

_Three snarling jaws were snapping open and shut as the monster dog stopped in front of the baby, preparing to take a bite out of the little intruder. Yui screamed, and tried to place her body before Apollon, but once again, she was held in place, forced to watch the horrific scene unfolding before her._

_Baby Apollon appeared unfazed by the vicious beast before him, digging his chubby hands into the fold of his toga, and pulling out two fist fulls of orange pieces. He lifted his arms up as high as he could, placing the fruit directly under the dog's heads. A hearty laugh broke through the air as the baby's body glowed brightly, with multicolored prisms twinkling and dancing around the child and monster. _

"_Puhpees! Puhpees!" the baby god said in excitement._

_Stunned momentarily, the beast stared at the baby in bewilderment. The middle dog head inched closer to Apollon's fists, sniffing at what he was holding. Ears that were flattened against it's head, suddenly perked up, and a snake like tongue snuck out to take a quick taste._

_Apollon let out a giddy squeal as the tongue felt ticklish against his skin. "Eat! Eat!" he told the beast, opening his hands to try and bring the food closer to their mouths. The three dog heads shared glances between each other, and encouraged by the middle head, they began to lick up the orange pieces. Once his hands were empty, the baby reached into his toga to pull out more. Eagerly the monster dog gobbled up the delicious treat._

_When Apollon no longer had any orange blobs to share, Kusanagi began to fear again for the baby's safety. Would the monster now attack? Instead, the beast began to lick all over the tiny hands, eliciting delighted laughter from the deity. The middle dog head reached past the baby, and grabbed the back of Apollon's toga, lifting him up._

_Yui's hands covered her mouth. Oh no! Was it going to hurt Apollon-san?! She could only watch on helpless as the monster dog turned around and went back to where it had came, taking the child with it. Suddenly, she found she could move again, and she hurried to catch up to the creature. They hadn't traveled far when the massive dog stopped, coming to rest in a small cave with an huge, woolen blanket situated in the middle of it. The baby god was dangling in the air from the mouth of the middle dog head, beaming and giggling in happiness as if it was an adventure._

_The beast gently lowered the baby down onto the wooly blanket, and the three dog heads began to lick the little god all over the face and arms. Apollon laughed and squealed while Kusanagi shook in fright, noticing the numerous skeletal remains of the human variety littered around the area._

_Apollon-san was still with them in the future, so this monster dog wasn't going to eat him, right? She desperately hoped that someone noticed the baby was gone and was looking for him at that moment._

_The tiny Sun God let out a loud yawn, and rubbed at his eyes. The dog heads immediately stopped their licking at watched in curiosity as the baby moved against it's body. He laid his golden head against the beast's massive chest and snuggled in closer, emitting a satisfied coo as his eyes closed in slumber._ _The two outer dog heads laid down on either side of Apollon, while the middle head stayed upright and alert, his glowing red eyes constantly searching the immediate area._

_Kusanagi wasn't sure how long she stood at the opening of the monster's cave, but she let out a sigh of relief when she heard the familiar voice of the God of the Underworld, Hades. He would surely make sure his little nephew got back to Mount Olympus. When he came into view, she was surprised that he still looked exactly the same then as he did now. Did he not age?_

"_Cerberus, what was all that noise earlier?" the Greek god asked the three headed creature. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the sleeping Sun God nestled against the creature's chest. "How?! How did he get down here?! What is he doing with you?!" Hades frantically reached out to pick up the baby, but the middle dog head let out a low growl and hovered over the golden crown of curls. Bared teeth greeted the god as he tried once again to gain control of the baby._

_Furious, Hades snapped, "You dare to stop me?! I am your master!" The tip of his staff began to glow and crackle in power, expressing his displeasure._

_The other two dog heads joined in, growling and barking in a quiet way so not to wake the child. Their eyes glowed in challenge as their ears began to flatten against their heads._

"_What do you mean he belongs to you?!" The God of the Underworld looked at his minion, his anger being replaced by mystification. "He is Zeus' son, and also our Sun God...you can't keep him."_

_Growls and barks answered the god back; the monster dog still refusing to relinquish it's custody of the child._

"_It doesn't matter if you found him," Hades replied, rubbing at his left temple in exasperation. "Apollon cannot stay with you. He must be brought home to Olympus."_

_Suddenly, an emotional, female voice echoed through the cavern, calling out for the God of the Underworld. Hades lowered his head and sighed. "Athena is coming. She will not take this well."_

_Yui whirled around, and immediately recognized the Goddess of Wisdom, who raced past her to get to Hades. She was a bit younger looking, like she was in her late teens, but still tall and svelte. A look of absolute panic was written on her beautiful face._

"_Hades! I can't find Sunbeam anywhere, and I saw where the door to the Underworld was open! Please tell me you found him!" Athena said in a near wail, her gray eyes filling with tears._

_A look of compassion overcame the god's face. "Calm yourself, Athena. Cerberus found Apollon."_

_Her face turning ashen, the goddess shook. "Cerberus...?" The unshed tears came rushing out like an unstoppable flood. "My poor Sunbeam!" she said between sobs. "He must've been so terrified! Did that horrible mongrel hurt him?!"_

_A strong hand gripped the female deity's shoulder. "Apollon is fine!" Hades spoke, gesturing towards the three headed monster. "See, he is sleeping against Cerberus and is unharmed."_

_Wiping at her wet eyes, Athena finally looked in the direction her uncle was pointing to. She let out a shaky breath of relief to see that indeed the Sun God was unscathed. When she tried to grab her baby brother, the monster dog growled and snapped at her hands, refusing to let her get near._

"_We have a problem," the morose god explained. "Cerberus thinks Apollon belongs to him now. I have tried to get the baby myself, but even I'm not allowed to touch him."_

_Frowning at the three headed creature, Athena placed her index finger and thumb upon her right temple and closed her eyes in concentration. Seconds later she was done. "I told Father I found Sunbeam."_

_An authoritative, male voice spoke from a distance, and_ _Yui's mouth fell open in surprise when she saw a tall man approaching. He had an impressive physical form. His perfectly shaped muscles were openly exposed underneath the shimmering gold toga that hung off his left shoulder, with white markings embellished all over his body. The face was strikingly handsome, and his long, golden locks cascaded down his back. A neat goatee along with a pencil thin mustache were set around his mouth, and a laurel of hammered gold leaves sat upon his head._ _He looked truly majestic._

_The girl stared harder at the man. Something about him seemed very_ _familiar... Her eyes doubled in size. OMG! This was a much younger version of Zeus! She could easily see the resemblance between father and sons. Dionysus looked like Zeus in his facial features, but Apollon inherited his father's golden hair and similar looking body markings. Both of the sons got their vibrant green eyes from Zeus as well._

"_Daughter, you said Apollon had been found?" Zeus inquired, walking up to the pair. His face was filled with worry, but his voice sounded hopeful and relieved._

"_Cerberus won't let us take Sunbeam. The silly beast thinks it's the owner now!" the young goddess said, giving the monster dog an irritated glare._

"_Be grateful Cerberus has taken to your baby brother," Zeus admonished gently. He turned his green eyes to the three headed dog. "You have my gratitude for finding and protecting my son," he said with bow of his head. "While I realize you developed a bond with him, he also needs to fulfill his duties as a god."_

_The three dog heads shared a glance between each other, and answered the god with growls. They wanted the sparkly pup to stay with them! _

_The ruler of the Olympians smirked and nodded his head in understanding. "You have my word that you will see Apollon again. Since Athena and I still have duties to attend to at our temples, I will allow my son to stay here with you and Hades until it is almost sunset."_

"_Father?!" Athena protested. "Sunbeam can't stay here!"_

_Hades lowered his head. "I agree with Athena. This place is too dark and miserable for one so sweet and bright." A look of guilt came over his face as he glanced at his little nephew. "Besides, it is my fault the door to the Underworld came open. I must not have shut it properly when I visited Olympus earlier today. Look at the misfortune this has caused. I do not deserve the privilege of watching him. "_

_Yui's heart went out to her friend. He wasn't at fault! Someone deliberately led Apollon-san here! Whenever her time in the past was done, she was going to make sure that fact was known!_

_The younger male placed an arm gently around his brother's shoulders. "Hades, do not be so hard on yourself. Apollon adores you, and don't forget how resourceful he is. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he found a way to open the door so he could see you. He is a god of Knowledge after all."_

"_He could've been..."_

"_He wasn't," Zeus finished. "I don't see any misfortune. Apollon has even managed to win over the ferocious Hell hound, Cerberus!" The blond god looked around the immediate area. "And I don't see any darkness, only a soft glowing light, coming from a happy, sleeping child. Maybe this place could use some brightening once in a while."_

_Kusanagi did a double take. Was this really Zeus?! Why wasn't he all angry and upset?! The man before her was calm and understanding, not the heavy handed dictator that was the head of the academy!_

"_But my curse...!" Hades reminded his younger brother._

"_Why not try it for today. If Apollon is truly unhappy, or something happens with him, you may call me to get him immediately._"

_Crossing her arms over her armor plated chest, Athena let out a resigned huff of air. "Sunbeam would be safer with you, Hades, than the '__**one**__' who was supposed to be watching him. I would love to hear the excuse Hera comes up with this time," she said with a hint of sarcasm._

"_Daughter, do not start with that!" Zeus warned in a stern tone. "She is your Queen, and she thought Apollon was asleep in his bed when she took a nap herself."_

_The young goddess rolled her eyes, but said nothing more, looking longingly at her baby brother. She tried once more to reach out to him, but Cerberus once again snapped at her hand._

_Listening to the growls, Hades interpreted with a slight smile, "Cerberus said you cannot touch 'Sparkles' because you'll wake him."_

_Shaking her mane of raven hair, The Goddess of Wisdom had to grin. "Here I was envisioning Sunbeam being traumatized, but he was obviously enjoying himself enough to '__**prism**__'." She kissed the tips of her fingers and then blew on them, sending her love to her sleeping brother. "Big Sissy will be seeing you soon."_

A blaring sound rudely awoke Kusanagi from her dream, causing her to bolt upright in the bed. Rubbing at her tired eyes, the teenager was forced to acknowledge it was time to start getting ready for class. Shutting off the offending alarm clock, she let out a sigh. A part of her wanted to go running immediately to Zeus and let him know what she dreamed about, yet another part told her to wake Athena and tell her first. But the goddess also had to get ready to teach her first day of class. Did her roommate need to deal with this issue right away? What should she do?

One thing she was certain of was that someone deliberately lured Apollon-san into a dangerous situation. Who could wish harm to an innocent child?

*I saw some pictures of "Cerberus" from the game and I used that to describe him. Thanks again to all who is reading this story, reviewed and faved! Truly appreciate it!*


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

The little mosquito diligently wove in and out of the male dorm rooms, looking for the exact type Mistress Gaia had asked for. Dawn was nearing, and the bug didn't have much time left to complete it's mission. The Earth Goddess wanted it to be done while the prospect was sleeping so not to alert Zeus. It had found a couple of candidates, but the insect wanted to make sure that the biggest and strongest was located before going into action.

In the second to last room, the perfect specimen was found. He was tall and burly, with a physique that would suit a weight lifter. The mosquito flew down to where the boy's head laid upon a pillow and landed near his neck. When the insect bit the human spirit, it transferred blood instead of taking blood out. Once it's commission was complete, the flying minion fell dead on the pillow and instantly disintegrated, leaving no trace it was ever there.

Back at Hera's personal domain, Gaia opened the prophecy box and smiled. Everything was going according to plan. The mosquito's bite now gave her control over the human spirit. For the time being, she would step back and allow things to go on normally so not to rouse Zeus' suspicions. The goddess needed absolute cunning to outwit the Supreme Ruler of the Gods.

But when she decided to spring her 'coup d'etat', not even Zeus was going to see it coming until it was too late.

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Kusanagi put on her robe and left her bedroom, eager to wake the Goddess of Wisdom, and tell her all she dreamt about. When she walked out into the main living area, she found the female deity already up and dressed.

Athena was smartly attired in a uniform exactly like Yui's, but with a knee-length, pleated navy skirt, which matched the color of her high heels. Her luxurious black hair was pulled into a French braid, and the remaining loose hair was draped over her right shoulder.

"Yui!" The goddess greeted her roommate with a beaming smile, and lifted up a steaming mug of coffee. "Morning greetings! Would you like to join me in a cup of java? I learned about this drink when I followed around the various troops during World War 1."

The Japanese teen's mouth fell opened in surprise. "You participated in recent wars too?"

Athena winked. "Of course! We've never disappeared. While it's true that the human race doesn't worship us as they used to, it doesn't stop us from fulfilling our godly duties." She lifted her cup. "Interested in joining me? This liquid can wake the dead if you make it strong enough!"

Giving a nervous chuckle, Yui shook her head. "Thank you, but I prefer green tea myself."

"Done!" The Warrior Goddess closed her eyes in concentration and seconds later a tray with condiments and a hot cup of tea was sitting on the kitchen table.

Surprised the goddess could do all that with just her mind, the girl reached out and grabbed her cup. "Thank you, Athena-san," she said as she sweetened her drink. Kusanagi lowered her gaze, inwardly struggling with what to do next. Should she finish getting ready for class and then discuss the dream, or tell the goddess now?

Noticing the girl's hesitation, Athena spoke first. "Is there something wrong, Yui?"

Before the teenager could speak, the boisterous voice of Melissa boomed out from his ceramic house. "Kutanagi! Kutanagi!" The rag doll lifted the lid and looked around for his human charge.

"Melissa-san!" Kusanagi smiled at her helper, relieved he was okay. She felt a pang of guilt that she had forgotten about him with all the upheaval going on. "How do you feel?"

Flexing his flimsy cloth arms, the doll bragged, "Ready to take on another year!"

"What in the world of chaos is that?!" Athena asked, picking up the doll by the fabric gathered at the top of his head.

Indignant at the treatment, Melissa said irritably, "I am your upperclassman, created by Zeus himself!"

The goddess dropped the mouthy doll and frowned. "I can't believe Father would fail this badly."

"Hey now!" Melissa was going to give this rude newcomer a stern talking to, but when he got a good look at her, his words were left behind as he stared at the vision of beauty in front of him.

"Melissa-san, this is our new professor, Athena Aegis," Yui explained. "She is staying with us for now."

"Uh huh," Melissa mumbled, still staring at the goddess as a bit of drool came spilling out the corner of his mouth. Kusanagi could almost envision red hearts floating around the doll.

"Maybe Father allowed him to stay this way to make you feel comfortable," Athena reasoned. She turned her attention back to the human girl. "Is there something troubling you? Was it about what we discussed last night?"

Nodding, Kusanagi took a quick sip of her green tea. "I had another dream from the past..."

"Don't all humans dream?" Melissa asked, coming out of his daze. "What were you talking about last night? I didn't hear any of it."

Placing her hands on her hips, Athena gave the nosey doll an annoyed look. "This is a discussion amongst women. All identifiable males must leave the room."

The cloth doll looked around himself. "I don't see any..."

"Why don't you get ready for class, while I have a talk with Mr. Upperclassman," the warrior goddess suggested. "We can discuss your dream after that."

"Uhm, okay," Kusanagi agreed, taking her cup of tea along with her to the bedroom.

When the teenager had left the small kitchen, Athena crossed her arms over her chest and stared hard at Melissa. "Listen up. A conversation between females is sacred, and shouldn't be trifled with. I do realize Father created you to help Yui, but I'm also going to guess you're his official snitch. If there is anything he needs to know, I will inform him myself."

"Huh? Zeus is your father?"

"That's right." Athena placed her index finger on the doll's forehead, and instantly Melissa went slack. She would awaken the cloth helper when they left the dorm. The look on Kusanagi's face bothered the goddess. Did this one involve Apollon too?

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As Thoth Caduceus walked down the long hallway towards Zeus' office, he pondered over what Anubis had told him last night about the beautiful lady who came and talked with him. The God of Wisdom had to admit he had never seen his fellow Egyptian react that way to another, whether it be god or goddess. The fact that this new teacher could speak in the ancient dialect of his homeland surprised him. Except for the ten year battle against the Titans, the various realms of the gods didn't interact with each other. Of course being the Supreme ruler of the Gods, Zeus knew them all, but his fellow Olympians never expressed any interest or desire to be around anyone not associated with their Parthenon.

Maybe his worry over this new 'teacher' was unfounded. Zeus wouldn't saddle him with a crazy, unreasonable female goddess. It would defeat the whole purpose of the school. As he pushed open the doors to the Greek god's office, Thoth prepared himself for the changes to come today.

"Thank you for meeting me so early," Zeus said from his throne at the top of the expansive staircase. "I will not keep you long."

Thoth nodded his head in acknowledgment. "This concerns your daughter?"

"Yes. She asked for her identity to be kept quiet until she reveals herself personally."

A dark brow rose in question. "Why is that so important? Wouldn't it be more prudent to alert the class before they meet her?"

The Supreme God shrugged his shoulders. "She wants to surprise her brothers. If they knew before hand, you might have a harder time keeping their attention. Apollon especially."

The Egyptian god harumphed. "Dionysus has never paid attention in class...when he's awake. Apollon is easily distracted, so I can understand that reasoning with him."

Zeus gave a long suffering sigh. "Apollon is interested in 'everything' so his attention span can easily move to something else. It's not done in disrespect, because he truly does want to learn." The god gave his left hand a flip. "Dionysus on the other hand, doesn't care. But I didn't ask him here for learning about humans."

"A support system for Apollon," Thoth recalled. " Hades as well, though I suspect that there was more to his being invited here than just being a 'god-sitter'."

The Greek god smirked. "I'm sure you've realized by now that there is more than one reason behind what I do."

Closing his eyes, the God of Knowledge allowed a tiny upturn in the corner of his mouth. "Indeed".

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Hera laid in the massive bed she and Zeus shared, her mind fuming. She was losing patience with the Earth Goddess' vague hints at a plan. Either she had one or she didn't! If Gaia wanted her help, then more information had to be forthcoming. And if the lack of explanation was maddening enough, the ancient goddess had the nerve to demand to stay in her private room!

What if she went nosing around? The Queen of the Heavens gave a derisive snort. What didn't Gaia know already? That stupid box showed her everything! Settling down further under the cloud-like blanket, Hera gritted her teeth.

It was all Apollon's fault! The imbecile had to chose to make that box, forcing her to counter his with a copy. Now all her darkest secrets were in the hands of a vengeful goddess who was under the sway of the dark aura.

Before closing her eyes, Hera swore that she wasn't going to quit until Zeus' precious 'golden boy' was utterly wiped out of existence!

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An irritated groan was followed with the opening of a green eye as Dionysus found himself momentarily blinded by a ray of sunshine shining directly into his face. "Dammit Apollon!" the red head growled, pulling his blanket over his head.

A hearty laugh broke through the room, announcing the presence of the Sun God. He pulled back the floor length curtains of the balcony door in a flourish. "We've been calling for you to wake up for over a half hour, so I have to take drastic steps so you don't miss class," the blond prodded as he then tore off his older brother's blanket in one movement.

A blast of ice cold water hit Dionysus squarely in the face. "Time to rise and shine!" Apollon announced happily, holding a squirt gun in his right hand.

"You're gonna be '**shining**' out your ass when I get a hold of you!" The God of Fertility threatened as he leapt from his bed.

Hades had just settled down on the love seat with a steaming cup of hazelnut coffee when he heard a high pitched yelp, followed by the sound of running feet. Seconds later, the yellow and black clad form of his youngest nephew came into view. Apollon jumped upon the staircase banister and slid down it backwards, laughing like a madman.

"Apollon!" The God of the Underworld chastised. "What are you...?"

"See you at the cafeteria, Uncle Hades!" the Sun God called over his shoulder as he dashed to the front door. In his haste to escape, the blond left the door completely open behind him.

"Get back here, you sunny bastard!" Dionysus yelled out, racing down the stairs to catch up to his little brother.

Hades mouth fell open in shock, almost dropping his cup in the process. Seeing the red head running to the door, he called out, "No! Dionysus! Don't go after him!" His nephew paid no heed and flew out the opened door. The older god covered his face with his free hand, and shook his head in helplessness. Looks like his misfortune has struck again!

Flying down the main hallway of the dorm's first floor, Apollon ran with the speed a gazelle would be envious of. The Sun God smiled to himself. Well, he did have lots of experience racing with Artemis' white stag, and being a Light God, he was also faster than the speed of light. His human form couldn't reach those speeds, but he was still quicker than the average mortal.

Dionysus tried his hardest to keep up with his fleeing brother, but his human body failed him, forcing him to stop and gasp for air. As he stood in the hallway to catch his breath, his annoyance turned to amusement. The little brat got him good! Not too long ago he would've been jumping for joy, even if Apollon had dumped a whole bucket of ice water on him. If that would bring his little brother back to his happy-go-lucky self again, he'd welcome it with open and...wet arms.

"W-What the hell?!" a familiar voice bellowed angrily.

The Greek turned his head to find the two Totsuka brothers standing in the hallway. Takeru's eyes were nearly bugging out of his head in a mixture of horror and fury as his left eye twitched. Even the stoic Tsukito's eyebrows had shot up in surprise. A startled gasp, followed by a snicker, alerted Dionysus of the Norse gods' presence. Why were they all staring at him like that? He looked down at himself.

Well shit...

He ran his right hand smoothly through his spiked hair, a confident smirk on his mouth as his left hand gestured with an open palm towards his fully exposed crown jewels. "Jealous much?" he asked coyly. "Hate to make you all feel inferior, but I am the God of Fertility for a reason." With that said, he turned back in direction of his dorm room, and strolled by his startled classmates with an unfazed air.

Takeru fisted his hands and shook where he stood. "I-I'm scarred for the rest of eternity!" he exclaimed. "Don't those Greek brothers have any boundaries?!"

The older Totsuka brother only shrugged, and commented blandly, "Dionysus Thyrsos is correct in the fact that to be that well endowed would only benefit a god of fertility."

"That was an over share!" Loki said with a low whistle. He glanced beside him at his best friend. Balder's face was red as a tomato, while his sky blue eyes stared down at the marble floor.

"I could have lived blissfully unaware," Thor said dryly, with a roll of his eyes.

Apollon peeked down the hallway from behind a wall, expecting to see his brother hot in pursuit. Instead he only saw his other classmates standing around. Stealthily he hurried towards his friends, his green eyes scanning for any sign of trouble.

As he neared the group of gods, he whispered, "Have you seen Dee-Dee?"

"Seen him?" Takeru halfway snapped. "We saw more of him than we needed to!"

Apollon looked at the Sea God in confusion. "What do you mean, Take-Take?"

"We came across your brother standing in the hallway...nude," Tsukito answered.

The blond Greek began to giggle. "You all saw Dee-Dee nakey nakey?!" His amusement died quickly as his friends stared at him, not partaking in his view of the situation. He glanced between them in worry. "Oh no! He didn't say anything mean to you, did he?"

Rolling his long braid around his index finger, Loki offered, "He was bragging that he's bigger than any of us because he's the God of Fertility."

Waving his hands in a criss-crossing motion in front of him, Apollon gave a cheerful grin. "No worries! He's not the only one! Besides me, there are a couple of others at Mount Olympus who are just as impressive as he is!" The Sun God gestured for his friends to follow him. "I've worked up a good appetite from running, and my first period gym class hasn't even started yet. Let's all eat breakfast together before starting the school day!"

The other gods stood stupefied, their mouths falling open in unison as Apollon walked on to the cafeteria oblivious.


	12. Chapter 12

*Italicized words mean something is being seen/said in the past*

**CHAPTER 12**

Yui looked into her bathroom mirror to adjust the red tie that went to her school uniform. After accomplishing that task, she turned her gaze to the black band around the upper arm of her left sleeve, noting the sun symbol. Even though she wore this outfit for over a year, it was the first time she realized the significance. This school was created for Apollon? Did the Sun God pick up on it too? Maybe she would have to ask him sometime.

Satisfied with her appearance, the Japanese teenager reached for the doorknob, anxious to get back to Athena. Instead of walking out into her bedroom, she found herself standing in the middle of a room that resembled Zeus' office at the academy.

_Two extravagant thrones were situated in the center of the back wall, with a male and female figure occupying them._ _The male she instantly recognized as the young Zeus, dressed the same as she saw him in the last vision. The female she had never seen before. A beautiful brunette dressed elegantly in rich hues of flowing purple and light green silk sat regally in the throne to the left. Her shiny hair was braided around the top of her head with jewels woven in between. A silver crown sat daintily in front. This woman was truly stunning, but there was something off about her. __Her brown, doe shaped eyes seemed cold and aloof. _

"_My thigh is really troubling me for some reason today," Zeus mumbled to himself, rubbing hard at his left leg._

_The woman gave a small sigh. "I know you don't want to hear this...but how long can you keep this up? Nothing you've done has brought Dionysus back to us."_

_Zeus' hands balled into fists as he glared at the female goddess beside him. "You're right, Hera. I don't want to hear that from you!" he said in barely contained anger. "I can't give up on him! It was our fault that he was torn apart! We were too busy arguing to watch him properly._**"**

_Yui's eyes shot open in horror. Torn apart?! Did Zeus literally mean Dionysus was ripped to pieces?_

"_You keep those segments left in your thigh, hoping to regenerate him, but nothing has happened all this time. All it does is cause you pain __and grief." Even though her voice was soft, there was no warmth or compassion in her eyes. "How long do you plan to suffer?"_

"_For eternity, if I have to! Even though Dionysus isn't whole, I can feel his life force. As long as his heart still beats, there is hope."_

_The massive doors on the other end of the room swung open, and the entire area was filled with a bright light and multicolored prisms. A blond toddler rushed in, heading straight for Zeus. The human girl smiled in recognition. Apollon-san had grown a bit since the last vision, and now he was able to walk._

"_Fah-Fah! Fah-Fah!" Apollon cried out happily, his arms stretched out to hug his father.__"I heal! I heal!"_

_Hiding his discomfort, Zeus rose from his throne and picked up the elated boy, lifting the giggling tot above his head. "And what are you so especially glad about, my precious ray of Sunshine?" __he asked in amusement._

_Kusanagi watched the tender scene with a bittersweet smile. What had happened down the road to cause the current tension between the father and son? __Why was the Zeus she __knew so different than the one in front of her?_

_Athena arrived right behind her little brother, a beaming smile on her face. "Father! Sunbeam has healing powers as well!"_

_Looking back at his son, the supreme god couldn't hide his surprise __at the news. "You can heal?"_

"_Yes! Yes!" the little Sun God confirmed with a sunshiny smile. "I heal widdle birdie!" He playfully pounded on his father's chest. "Me! Me!" __His cheerful demeanor instantly changed to worry as his big eyes went down to Zeus' left leg. The expressive orbs then returned to his father's face. "Ouchie? Fah-Fah has ouchie?"_

_The God of the Heavens exchanged a startled glance with Athena. "Why do you ask that?"_

"_Down! Down!" toddler Apollon said, squirming in his father's tight grip._

_Fearful that he might drop him, the god lowered his excited son to the floor, watching in amazement as the tiny hands began to glow a soft green color. __Apollon immediately went to the area Yui had seen Zeus rubbing earlier, intensifying the flow of power as he closed his eyes._

_Zeus reached down to stop his son, but Athena blocked his hands. "Let him try," she said in explanation. "He's quite strong in this ability."_

"_But he's a small child!" the God of the Skies argued. __"He could hurt himself!" The protest had just left his mouth when he felt a drastic change in his thigh. His green eyes widened in shock as he looked down at his son, who was now looking up at him with a pleased smile._

"_I heal baby! I heal baby!" Apollon announced with an adorable laugh._

_Tears welled up in the proud god's eyes as he once again scooped up his child, cuddling him to his chest. "You healed your big brother!"_

"_Brudder?" Apollon echoed, his already large eyes growing bigger. He squealed in joy and wrapped his little arms around his father's neck. Zeus returned the hug, planting kisses upon the toddler's loose, golden curls. __Athena joined in, laughing as she hugged the Sun God from behind__**.**_

_An icy chill raced down Yui's back, diverting her attention away from the loving display. Her eyes were drawn to the goddess Hera, and the girl knew instantly what she had felt came from her. Though the beautiful woman's face looked neutral, Kusanagi could feel the hatred pouring off of her in waves._

_The teenager found herself trembling at the emotions she felt coming from the goddess. To have such an intense loathing for a child!? And for one who was as sweet as Apollon?_

_A loud yawn echoed through the throne room, eliciting chuckles from Zeus and Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom gently took her sleepy brother from their father, cradling __him in her arms._

"_I think someone wore himself out," she remarked with a fond smile as she kissed Apollon's forehead. "Time for an early nap-nap."_

"_No, no" Apollon objected weakly, letting out another yawn. "Want to play wif big brudder..." __His eyelids grew heavy, and unable to fight it any longer, the small Sun God finally closed his eyes, instantly falling asleep._

_Giving her father a wink, the young goddess carried her sleeping brother out of the room._

_Once his daughter had left, Zeus sat back down in his chair, a winsome smile on his face. "He truly is a marvelous child," he commented in awe. "I knew the instant I laid eyes on him for the first time that he'd be special. Artemis is amazing too, but even she doesn't have the power her twin brother has."_

"_Yes, Apollon is indeed surprising," Hera admitted dryly. __"If he keeps this up, he'll surpass you one day in power, maybe even challenge you for the throne."_

_Zeus' head snapped towards his wife. "Watch your tongue!" he said angrily. "Apollon will never turn on me!"_

_Unfazed by her husband's ire, Hera shrugged. "The future is never certain. Even prophesies can be altered. I'm only giving you fair warning." __She pointed a perfectly manicured index finger towards the god's left leg. "What did Apollon do by the way?"_

"_He reverted Dionysus back to a fetus." He brushed a hand gently over his thigh in wonder. "After all these years...and all my attempts, it took the love of a child to heal him."_

_Hera rolled her brown eyes. "Love? The boy has healing powers. Don't go romanticizing __it."_

_Scowling at the goddess, Zeus replied. "When Sunshine healed my thigh, I felt the love and compassion he had. He didn't do it because he '__**could**__', he did it because he wanted to. I don't know how, but he sensed Dionysus' presence."_

"_So Dionysus will be grown in your thigh as he was before?"_

_The leader of the Olympians shook his head. "No. It will take too long. I want to implant him into a human woman..."_

"_How dare you!" Hera spat out in fury. "Why is your own wife, the Goddess of Marriage and Family, not able to carry him?! You just want an excuse to sleep with some attractive human!"_

_Groaning in irritation, Zeus rubbed at his temple. "You can't carry him for the same reason, I won't let him grow in my thigh. Being born by a god will take too long, not to mention he will take even longer to be the age he should be by now. A human birth is quicker, and humans grow up faster too. Once Dionysus is old enough, I will fetch him and bring him back to Olympus."_

"_Won't sleeping with a mortal woman make Dionysus a demi-god?" the goddess pointed out as she gritted her teeth._

"_I'm not going to sleep with anyone. I will place the fetus into a human woman without intercourse so Dionysus will retain his godhood. I know of a faithful follower who would be a good choice, Semele."_

"Yui!"

Athena's voice broke through Kusanagi's trance, pulling the girl back to the present. She found the Goddess of Wisdom standing in front of her, the stormy grey eyes filled with worry. Even the white owl perched on the deity's shoulder looked concerned.

"You had another vision didn't you? You were taking so long that I came to check on you. When I came in, the Ama no Murakumo was glowing around your neck, and you were staring off into the distance."

The Japanese teenager grasped her sword necklace, and turned her gaze to the Greek goddess. "Yes, I was taken back to the past again. This time Apollon-san was a small child and I saw him heal Dionysus-san in Zeus' thigh."

Biting down on her bottom lip, Athena hesitated for a few moments, unsure of what to do. "By the gods of antiquity, my curiosity is driving me wild! But the time is getting late, and you should follow your regular routine so no one becomes worried about where you are. Promise me we will discuss your newest visions later, alright?"

Yui nodded in agreement, receiving a hug from the goddess. Maybe it would be best to wait. After all, today was Athena's first day of teaching class, and she was so excited to see her little brother.

As Kusanagi was preparing to leave to meet the other gods, the Goddess of Wisdom said, "Please keep my identity a secret for now. I want to surprise Apollon when I come in after your first class with Thoth."

"Of course I will!" the teenager said with a smile. "I'm excited to see Apollon-san's reaction to seeing you again. Also Dionysus-san and Hades-san will be happy to see you too."

Snickering, the female deity gave a wink. "Oh I'm sure Dionysus will have quite the reaction to my appearance! I'm looking forward to seeing that too!"

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As soon as Hera awoke and dressed, she hurried to her private room, ignoring all who crossed her path. The Goddess of the Heavens was on a mission, and no one was going to deter her.

Though she discretely opened the ornate door, her displeasure was evident to the occupant in the room. Gaia was reclining on Hera's favorite lounge chair, obviously making herself at home. The Earth Goddess smirked at the other female, making Hera's blood boil.

"Good morning, my Queen," Gaia said in a mocking tone. "Did you not sleep well? You seem a bit irritable." She sat up, glancing at Hera with a forced look of concern. "Or did you miss eating your morning meal?"

The Goddess of Marriage straightened, her brown eyes blazing with contained fury. "I want answers. You ask for my help, yet you seem to revel in testing my patience with your lack of details."

Her black aura intensifying, Gaia rose from the chaise lounge and strolled leisurely to the other deity. "You have helped so immensely already. Didn't I already tell you the little box you created has been very useful?"

Hera frowned. "I am through with this game."

"Even though I know of your 'plots' against Zeus' precious 'Sunshine'?"

The Queen of the Gods walked past Gaia, and reclaimed her chaise lounge, stretching her svelte frame over the plush cushions. "Go to Zeus then," she challenged with a haughty look. "He knows I hate his stupid son, and if he hasn't suspected me in the past, then he won't believe your outlandish claims now. All I have to tell him is that you want revenge by any means necessary, and I was only playing along to find out your intentions. Your threats over my head would be nullified."

A brown eyebrow rose in question. "Is it really that easy?" She gave her hand a dismissive wave. Time was running out, so she couldn't risk losing her access to Hera's portal to the Academy of the Gods. "I still wish to continue our collaboration. What would you like to know?"

Her eyes narrowing, Hera fixed the older goddess with a determined look. "That is more like it." She motioned at a chair near her. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable. I truly feel we will be in discussions for quite a while."

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The Norse and Japanese gods were still standing in the hallway exchanging varied glances, each group wondering why the other group wasn't making any moves to follow Apollon to the cafeteria.

Thor was the first to speak. "Loki, Balder, why don't you go to the cafeteria," he suggested. "I will wait for Dionysus to come out."

"But...," Loki began to protest, but a stern glare from his brother caused the words to die in his throat.

"I agree with Thor, we should keep Agana Belea company," Balder concurred, gently pushing his best friend by the shoulders. "I also want to reassure him that we didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable on the issue with Yui."

"Alright," the Norse God of Fire reluctantly agreed. "I want to ask him anyway what the hell happened to cause what we just witnessed."

Takeru watched the two leave and then elbowed Tskutio. "Maybe you should join them, Bro? I'll wait for Hades."

The older Japanese god shook his head. "I will wait with you. I have questions for Hades Aidoneus too." He turned his gaze to the Norse God of Thunder. "Is your desire to speak with Dionysus Thyrsos due to the discussion from last night?" he asked point blank.

"Yes," Thor had to concur. "What about you two? Why is it so important to talk with Hades?"

"He was smiling real weird when we visited Apollon last night," Takeru answered. "It was like watching his nephew get all hyper made him happy."

"We are also wondering what happened the night Apollon Agana Belea broke free of his shakle," Tskuito supplied. "And why was he summoned here to the academy."

"We were curious about that as well," the God of Thunder admitted. "Maybe we should kill two birds with one stone and ask both of them together."

Takeru nodded eagerly. "Sounds like a sound tactical plan!"

The three gods didn't have to wait long as the figure of Hades strode out of the front door to the Greek's suite_**. **_The God of the Underworld fixed the group with a cautious look. Had his oldest nephew's 'display' upset the others enough to cause a confrontation?

"Is there an issue?" he asked in his deep voice, straightening his posture.

"We would like to speak with you and Dionysus Thyrsos," Tskuito replied blandly. "It concerns Apollon Agana Belea."

"Dionysus should be coming any minute," Hades answered. He glanced between the younger gods in concern. Apollon? Was there more going on with the Sun God? Before he could ask, the God of Fertility ambled out into the hallway.

Smirking, Dionysus gave his fellow immortals a mischievous wink. "Sorry dudes, I ended up getting dressed. Didn't you get a good enough view before?"

"That's enough, Dionysus," his uncle said in a firm tone. "They are here to talk about Apollon."

The God of Wine's playful disposition turned wary immediately. His green eyes narrowed briefly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What about him?"

"You mentioned last night about how Apollon is finally becoming whole again," Takeru spoke up. "We were all wondering what you meant by that."

"And why did Zeus bring him to the school?" Thor chimed in. "Out of all of us, he's the least likely candidate to be here."

Uncle and nephew exchanged glances, uncertainty written all over their faces. Should they give details of what their youngest went through without him being present?

"We can just ask Apollon Agana Belea himself," Tskuito blurted out in his emotionless voice.

"No, don't bother him about the past," Hades said quickly, rubbing a hand on the side of his neck. He didn't want his young nephew's jubilant mood spoiled by reliving traumatic times. "Apollon...he has endured much tragedy and rejection in his life." The god cast his eyes down towards the floor as he struggled to find the words to tell them without revealing too much. "He overcame many emotionally painful trials, yet there was one he couldn't recover from."

"When a mortal girl he loved committed suicide, he went into a dark place that he had never gone before," Dionysus explained. "Even Dad was freaking out over it."

"Apollon fulfilled his duties as Sun God, but he stopped doing anything else. He would only sit in solitude day after day, avoiding his family, refusing to visit his temples, or to do any of his other godly responsibilities." Hades let out a heavy sigh at the thought of how despondent his nephew became. "We began to fear that we had lost him forever to despair."

"But, he's ok now, right?" Takeru asked, surprised at the information. What they were describing didn't match his fellow classmate. "He doesn't act that way here."

"We were able to pull him from the brink, but he still didn't act completely like himself. The way he coped with it was to suppress his emotions and focus solely on making others happy," the God of Fertility supplied. "Yet, he would have episodes of darkness that would overcome him briefly from time to time."

"So the odd behavior Apollon exhibited the day his shackle broke was due to one of those dark episodes?" Thor asked.

"Yes," the God of the Underworld concurred, "but it was acted out a bit differently than his other ones. That was why we didn't notice it immediately."

"Was that why Zeus sent him here?" Takeru enquired.

"Pretty much," The God of Fertility replied with a nod of his head. "Dad was worried that the dark episodes would eventually overtake his loving nature."

"Then the uncharacteristic smile you gave towards Apollon Agana Belea last night was because he was acting more like his old self?" Tskutio reasoned.

"I have known him since he was a babe in his mother's embrace," Hades answered, his face softening. "He is very precious to me. To see his suffering lessen is like witnessing a ray of sunlight bursting through storm clouds."

Clapping his hands together loudly, Dionysus grabbed the group's attention. "As much as it pains me to say this...we better get moving along so we don't miss class." To finish his point, he turned and began to walk down the hallway, motioning for the others to join him. Hopefully what he and Hades told them would be enough to sate their curiosity, so they wouldn't pester his little brother for more details.

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Athena was careful as she made her way to Zeus' office. Thankfully the students were now consuming their morning breakfast at the cafeteria instead of milling about. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Soon she found herself standing outside the massive doorway, willing herself to stay calm. What Kusanagi described to her last night unnerved the goddess greatly. Apollon's trance-like behavior, Cassandra's presence at the academy, a mist coming from her brother's ring, the mention of a 'dark cloud' over her brother's heart...all of them smacked of something more going on than just guilt and sadness over a lover's death.

Placing one of her palms on each door, the Goddess of Strategic Warfare pushed them open, prepared to do battle with her father, and using any trick in the book to get the information she required.

Zeus was sitting on his throne when his daughter made her dramatic entrance. Seeing the look of determination on her face, the god gave a low groan, suppressing the desire to shake his head in exasperation.

"Why are you not preparing for your class?" he asked in an irritated tone, letting the female deity know he was not in the mood for any confrontations.

"Why are you keeping secrets about my brother?" Athena shot back.

The immortal gave his daughter a disapproving glare, refusing to say more.

Athena rolled her eyes at the look she received. "Please spare me the furrowed brows of displeasure and the scowl of pissed-dom. I know of the strange behavior Sunbeam displayed before his shackle came off."

Zeus shook his head ruefully. "I should have known better than to bring two opinionated females together," he muttered under his breath. "Nothing good ever comes from it."

"Kusanagi Yui thinks the ring caused Sunbeam's afflictions, but I think that is a line you fed her to end the issue." She folded her arms over her chest. "Did the other gods walk around in a trance? Did their shackles give off a black mist? Did they thrash about in their beds as if they were possessed?"

His hand tightening on his staff of power, the leader of the gods sent his daughter a fierce look. "The issue is resolved, so I will not speak of it anymore. Your brother is fine and is even showing signs of his former self."

"How can you be so sure? What if its only a temporary fix? I need to know everything so I can protect him in the future..."

"His curse is lifted! It is over!" Zeus stated firmly in a booming voice. "If you persist in aggravating me further, I won't hesitate sending you back home!"

"His curse?!" Athena's black eyebrows shot up in alarm. "I knew there was more to it!" She slammed her right fist into the open palm of her left hand.

Placing a hand over his face in exacerbation, Zeus mentally kicked himself. Damnation, he gave away to much information. Now his tenacious daughter won't let the matter rest until she was satisfied with the answers.

Watching her father's vexation, Athena smirked to herself. Damn straight she was going to get to the bottom of her brother's past behavior.

*Thanks to all who are reading, reviewing or watching this story! I wanted to give a little back story as to why I wrote what I did about Dionysus. I read on a couple of sites that there were stories out there that Dionysus wasn't born from a mother, just as with Athena. One of the sites also mentioned he was a very old god, predating some of the Olympians like Athena and the twins, but was only brought into prominence later on.

I also read a story where some of the Titans lured a child Dionysus away from Zeus' throne with toys and tore him to pieces. One had them eating him, another said he was torn apart. Athena found his still beating heart and Zeus placed it into his thigh, then choosing Semele to carry him, or Zeus carried Dionysus himself.

I thought all of that fit in perfectly with my view of Dionysus being a big brother, and a way of showing a deep bond between him and Apollon.*


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Apollon was starting to dig into his morning meal when he spotted Loki and Balder coming into the cafeteria. He raised his right arm and swung it back and forth enthusiastically, encouraging his friends to sit with him at the elongated table. After grabbing their trays of food, the two Norse gods joined the Sun God.

"Where is everyone else?" Apollon questioned, looking past his two friends.

"They are talking with your uncle and brother," Balder explained with a kind smile. "I'm sure they'll be joining us soon."

"Speaking of talking," Loki cut in, "what the hell happened to Dionysus to cause him to come out all exposed like that?!"

The blond Greek pulled out a green, plastic object that was tucked into the waistband of his gym shorts. "Dee-Dee wouldn't get up, so I used this!"

The God of Mischief grabbed the object out of the other god's hand and studied it. It felt cool to the touch and he could make out some kind of liquid moving back and forth inside of it. "What is this thing?"

"Its called a 'squirt gun'," Apollon replied. "I read about it in the newest edition of "Beach Frolic Follies: Summer Fun Spectacular". It shoots out a stream of water, and the males in the one story I read used them frequently to cause good-natured mayhem."

Loki's eyes lit up in interest. "Show me how to use this thing."

"Sure!" The Sun God reached across the table and retook possession of the squirt gun, explaining how to put water into the little hole on top, and then how to push in the trigger to cause the water to leave.

"Can I borrow this?!" the redhead asked in excitement.

Apollon nodded his head. He wanted to build deeper bonds with his new friends, and it thrilled him inside to see Loki-Loki so enthralled with the squirt gun. "But you better hide it in your jacket before Dee-Dee comes in."

The God of Fire winked in acknowledgment. "Hide the evidence...I got it!"

Minutes later Dionysus entered the cafeteria, making a beeline to Apollon. "Well, well, if it isn't my dear brother." He bent over his sitting sibling, his eyes doing a quick scan over the other's body. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Apollon asked with a raised brow. "Could you clarify the meaning of your question?"

"Oh ha ha," Dionysus replied sarcastically. "I know you're not a water god, so where did that blast of water come from?"

"From a faucet?" the Sun God said innocently. He yelped in surprise when his brother wrapped an arm around his neck, and then hissed in pain when Dionysus began to rub his knuckles over the two sore spots on top of his head.

"My ouchies!" Apollon half wailed, slapping on the older god's arm to gain his freedom.

Dionysus instantly stopped, releasing his brother. "I totally forgot about the ouchies!" he said in mock dismay. "Let me kiss them better!"

Apollon covered his head with his hands. "No! Only Thea-Thea is allowed to kiss my ouchies!" he protested with a pout.

"But Crazy Scary isn't here," the God of Wine pointed out smugly. "Let big brother make it better!" He then proceeded to repeatedly slap his right palm hard on top of Apollon's hands, making a kissing noise as he struggled not to laugh at his little brother's squirming. Served the little stinker right, thinking he could pull a fast one and get away with it!

"Dionysus! Do not harass your brother!" Hades' deep voice boomed from the cafeteria doorway. He entered inside with Thor and the Totsuka brothers following close behind.

The God of Fertility threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine, Hades," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "You can baby the little whiner. You always take his side anyway." His green eyes twinkled in merriment as he walked over to the food court.

Sticking his tongue out, Apollon yelled to his brother's retreating back, "That's because I'm precious!"

The comment drew a slight chuckle from the God of the Underworld, surprising the other gods, except his fellow Greeks. "Will you survive?" he asked his nephew with a smirk.

"I'll be fine, Uncle Hades," Apollon answered back with a smile. He then cast his eyes towards his brother, who was now walking back to the group with a tray of food. His smile turned impish as his voice rose on purpose. "But Dee-Dee is the one who needs to worry about survival if Thea-Thea finds out he gave me ouchies."

Hades' eyes went wide. "Dionysus? He injured you?"

"Mm-hm, on purpose." The Sun God pointed to the top of his golden head. "He hit me twice with my tennis racket."

"You little tattle-tale!" Dionysus said, giving his brother a shove on the shoulders as he passed by. "Someone had to knock some sense into your dense skull!" The God of Wine sat down in a chair next to his uncle, his feisty demeanor suddenly turning anxious. "You-you aren't serious about telling Crazy Scary are you?"

"I thought she didn't worry you?" Apollon said nonchalantly.

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" Dionysus asked, his eyes narrowing in challenge.

The blond Greek burst out into a hearty laugh, his body emitting a cheerful, yellow light that illuminated the immediate area. Glancing between each other, the Norse and Japanese gods looked around them in wonder. Where did this light suddenly come from? Their surprise grew as they noticed the pleased smiles on Dionysus' and Hades' faces.

"I won't tell her!" Apollon answered happily. "But the look on your face..."

"You're damn lucky you're 'barely' loveable," Dionysus shot back, his smile still on his lips.

"Who is this Thea-Thea person?" Balder asked the three Greek gods.

"Yeah, and who is Crazy Scary?" Loki added. "She sounds kind of cool."

Apollon began to bounce up and down in his seat in eagerness, an almost blinding smile overtaking his face. "Thea-Thea is one of the most amazing goddesses ever! She is mine and Dee-Dee's big sister."

"Actually the two names describe the same person," Hades supplied. "It is their nicknames for the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena."

"Yes, yes! She is also the Goddess of Strategic Warfare, Literature, and Reason!" the Sun God exclaimed. "Isn't that wonderful?!"

"Strategic Warfare?" Takeru asked in confusion. "I thought you already had a god of war."

"We do," Apollon agreed, "but she deals more with strategy and winning the smarter way without too much bloodshed."

Dionysus gave a wink. "In other words, she knows how to whup your ass many different ways."

"Really?" Takeru's eyes grew in curiosity. "She knows how to fight?"

Apollon nodded his head enthusiastically. "She helped in inventing all forms of combat! Whether its with weapons or with your body."

"Dionysus Thyrsos, is that why you refer to her as 'Crazy Scary'?" Tsukito asked matter of fact. "Does she repeatedly defeat you soundly?"

A fit of giggles erupted from Apollon and Hades tried to hide his knowing grin.

"Listen here!" the God of Wine and Merrymaking replied irritably as he shook his spoon in the Moon God's direction. "She is one crazy woman! You get on her bad side, and she'll have you shaking in your boots with fear!"

"So you don't approach her while wearing boots?" Tsukito asked in his monotone voice. The table burst into laughter (except for Hades, who only smiled), but The God of the Moon remained sober.

"Tsuki-Tsuki! I love your sense of humor!" Apollon cried out, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"I do not know if I have a sense of humor or not," the Japanese god answered honestly, causing his fellow gods to break out into another chorus of laughter.

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Hera had a small sampling of food brought to her private room, making sure Hermes wasn't able to peek inside and see her guest. That notorious gossip would have it spread all over Mount Olympus that Gaia was with her. As much as it irked her to carry her own food, the Goddess of the Heavens knew she couldn't afford for Zeus to find out at this stage of the game.

"How nice of you, my Queen, to serve me breakfast," Gaia purred mockingly. She chuckled when the other goddess practically threw the tray upon a small table nestled beside the chaise lounge. "Oh no, have I said something to upset you?"

"Hurry and take your fill, and then tell me the rest of your plan," Hera barked, retaking her favorite chair. "I know so far that you need my portal to watch the simpleton, and you sent that mosquito to the academy through it. How were you able to do that? I could never do anything but watch."

Picking up a couple of grapes, The Mother of the Earth smirked. "Through that box you made. Because you siphoned some of his prophecy powers, you created a direct link to him. Since I now own the box that still contains some of his essence, I can tweak it to send objects to where he is."

"What was the goal of sending the mosquito? You mentioned having to make it small to avoid Zeus' detection, and for it to find the biggest and strongest of the student spirits."

"That mosquito was not like the ones in nature. While the insect is designed to draw blood from the body, my mosquito did the opposite. It put a spell into the boy's body. Once I activate it, I will have total control of his mind," Gaia explained with obvious pride. "For now its dormant so it won't draw any attention, but when the time is right, I will use him to help in the plan for getting rid of our Sun God."

The Goddess of Marriage and Family sat up straighter on her lounging chair. This was the part she wanted more answers on. "And what is that plan? Is the student spirit going to kill Apollon himself? Or cause something to happen that will kill the stupid fool?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"What?! You said you had a plan!" Hera was furious. Was she being played?

"That was why I needed the use of your portal. We will watch him, and see if a perfect opportunity presents itself."

"What if** nothing **presents itself?!" the younger goddess bellowed as she leapt to her feet.

Munching on a slice of apple, Mother Nature gestured for Hera to calm down. "If nothing happens before the alignment, we will create something ourselves. First, we need to gain possession of the Helmet of Invisibility."

"The Helmet of Invisibility? Do you even have a plan to get it?" the Queen of the Gods sneered. "That stupid beast, Cerberus, won't allow us into the Underworld to take it. He particularly despises me."

Gaia gave an almost crazed smile. "Oh, I think something will be happening soon to remove that obstacle."

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"How did Sunbeam get cursed?" Athena demanded of her father. "Does this curse tie in with the prophesy you had of him destroying the world because he turned cold and bitter from grief?"

The leader of the Olympians gave his oldest offspring a sharp glare. "How do you know of any prophesy I had?" he snapped.

"Hera inadvertently mentioned it in front of Hermes, and of course he told me about it."

"I'm surprised you didn't come storming in to demand answers when you first heard about it," Zeus said gruffly. "Did he tell anyone else?"

"No, I am the only one who knows of it. I was worried about how the others would react to the prophesy, so we kept it between the two of us." She gave her father an encouraging glance. "I knew you would find a way to help Sunbeam, so I kept my silence, and tried my hardest to pull him out of his sorrow."

Zeus forced his face to stay neutral as alarm grew inside of him. His cunning wife 'accidentally' let the information slip out? It was done on purpose, hoping the talkative Hermes would tell the wrong person, and thus creating a stirring against Apollon.

That damn bitch! His hand tightened on his staff in inner fury. Did that woman delight in making him regret choosing her as his queen?! Composing himself, he decided to share about Apollon's curse to draw his daughter's attention away from the prophesy he really did have about his son.

"Your brother wouldn't have destroyed the world because he was despondent, but if he did continue to shut himself off from his emotions and everything else, the curse would eventually cause him to wilt away to nothing."

Athena's eyes doubled in size. "Was that curse that strong?!"

"Yes," Zeus admitted grudgingly. "At first I noticed a faint, black aura around Apollon after he found Cassandra's body in the river. It intensified as his despondence grew. I think when the girl killed herself, she inadvertently cursed him because he had given her some of his divine power."

Rubbing her chin, the Goddess of Wisdom thought over the theory. It was plausible. Still, there was one big detail bothering her. "But why would he go into a trance whenever Cassandra was around? Even as a spirit, she wouldn't have that kind of control. And Yui told me that Cassandra mentioned how she couldn't reach Sunbeam with her voice. Instead, it made him worse."

"That black aura kept her words from reaching him. His sadness and remorse overrode everything. The shackles the gods wear were designed to control powers and that black nimbus was affected too. Cassandra's presence caused the aura to intensify, and when it passed through his ring shackle, it provoked him to go into a trance like state."

The goddess shook her head in uncertainty. "But how can you be so sure the curse is lifted? Did you remove it yourself?"

"I searched for decades to find a way to lift the curse, but it was controlled by Apollon's emotional state of mind. Only he could break its hold over him," Zeus explained. "I brought him here to change his surroundings, and to redirect his focus in the hope that he could finally overcome it."

Athena gave a brief nod. "When I saw all the Sun symbols, I knew this academy was created for Sunbeam." Her silvery eyes searched her father's face. "Why were the other gods really brought here? Was it to divert attention from my brother's predicament?"

The leader of the Olympians let out a grunt. "They all needed to be here as much as your brother. I wanted Apollon to be around other gods close to him in age, so it would activate his encouraging nature. He could then help motivate them to pass their requirements to graduate."

"Nothing pleases him more than helping others," the goddess had to agree. "Since we are on the subject of helping, why was Dionysus and Hades brought here?"

"I will admit Dionysus was more in the role of support, but with Hades, I had other goals in mind than just watching over Apollon. He had become even more reclusive over the years, and I was hopeful that despite his curse, he could realize that being around others would be beneficial."

The Goddess of Wisdom gave a knowing wink. "Being around Sunbeam specifically."

Zeus gave a slight smile. "I have to admit that Kusanagi Yui was quite helpful as well. She truly surprised me."

"Yes, I'm quite impressed with her too. She is very wise and perceptive for someone her age." The female deity folded her arms over her chest as her face turned pensive. "But I am curious as to why she is able to see into the past. At first I assumed it was because the "Sword of the Heavens" picked up on Cassandra's presence, but she is gone now and Yui is still continuing to have visions about Sunbeam."

Zeus sat up straighter in his elaborate dias, but there was no surprise in his voice. "Kusanagi Yui had more visions?"

"Yes, two more as of this morning. I haven't had the time to discuss them with her yet, but she did briefly mention viewing the time Sunbeam healed Dionysus in your thigh."

His brows furrowing in thought, the God of the Skies settled more comfortably down into his chair. "Odd that she'd be seeing something like that...I didn't expect her to continue having visions."

"So it was part of your plan for Yui to view the past?"

"Kusanagi Yui was supposed to help each of the gods understand their issues. With Apollon, she had to help him deal with Cassandra's death. I allowed Cassandra's spirit here in hopes she would contact Kusanagi Yui, and together they could reach him. I knew the necklace was allowing her to see into the past, but I can't control what she observes."

Deciding he had said enough, Zeus puffed out his chest as his authoritative voice boomed through the spacious room. "Athena, I am done with this audience, and you need to prepare for your first class...but I want you to bring Kusanagi Yui with you after the school day is over. I want to hear what she saw in those visions as well."

"I will," the female deity agreed.

She turned on her heel and strode out of the office, concern over her brother still nagging at her. Closing the massive door behind herself, she walked down the long corridor until she reached the outside courtyard. Letting out a whistle, she called her white owl to come to her assistance. Her faithful companion flew over to her from a nearby tree, taking it's normal position on her shoulder.

"I need you to do some surveillance for me," Athena began.

***Author's note* I don't know for sure if Athena did create any forms of fighting, but it would make sense since she is a goddess of warfare. She also carries a spear, shield, and sword, so she obviously knows how to haul hiney ;) I also read on a site that she taught Apollon how to fight/box to beat Ares in the first Olympics.**

**If all goes well, Athena will finally meet the others in the next chapter.**

**Thanks again to all who are reading, faving and commenting on this story!**


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry this took so long to post. Kept rewriting and rewriting. :( Still not 100 % happy, but I feel more comfortable posting this chapter now.

I want to thank everyone who faved, reviewed, and are reading this story.

CHAPTER 14

When Yui entered inside the school's cafeteria, she found her godly friends laughing and talking together. The scene brought a smile to her face as she walked up to them. It looked like whatever tension that was in the air the other evening had dissipated.

Apollon was the first to see her, and he leapt up from his chair enthusiastically. "Morning, Fairy! Hurry and get your breakfast because I have something wonderful to tell you about!"

Balder turned around and patted the seat of an empty chair beside him. "I saved you a seat, Yui."

The Japanese teenager paused briefly in uncertainty. She didn't want to give Balder-san the impression she didn't want to be around him, but she also worried that he would take it as an encouragement, and start to insist again that he should spend every waking moment with her. While she found him to be exceptionally kind and gorgeous, she also knew he had an obsessive, darker side as the God of Destruction. It was that side that bothered her. After picking out what she wanted to eat, Kusanagi decided to take the offered seat. Maybe now it would be okay, since they were all able to reach him with their concern and friendship when his dark side had taken over before.

"Fairy, I would like to ask you to join us on our game nights this weekend," Apollon said excitedly. "Tsuki-Tsuki and Take-Take are coming over Saturday, and Bal-Bal, Loki-Loki and Thor-Thor are coming on Sunday. I thought it would be kalos if you can come play both nights!"

Kusanagi's face lit up. "That sounds like a lot of fun!" she agreed with a smile. She caught herself before suggesting Athena join them too. Her presence at the school was still a secret for now.

The Sun God shot his fist up into the air. "We will have the best time! The best!"

"What kind of games are we playing?"

"They are all games from your world. I thought it would help the rest of us learn more about humans," Apollon answered. "I picked out one called "Life"..."

"Oh! That one would be a great one to play!" Yui approved. "What else?"

"Something called "Monopoly", and I also chose"Battleship" for those who wanted a challenge. Then there is "Clue","Sorry", "Headache", and "Twister"."

The teenaged girl gave a nervous laugh. "Uhm, Apollon-san, I don't think "Twister" would be a good game to play..."

Apollon looked at his friend in confusion. "Why not, Fairy? It's a game with a lot of physical contact, and you get your bodies twisted around each other. It's just like the idea for our Beach Trip last year. Y'know, our bodies touching to form bonds of friendship?"

"You already 'touch' too much as it is," Takeru grumbled, folding this arms across his chest. "I'm with Weed on this one."

"I think it sounds lovely," Balder interjected as he looked over eagerly at Kusanagi. "Can we choose who we get tangled up with? I chose Yui."

Dionysus' eyebrow quirked upwards in alarm as he watched the Norse God of Light glance Kusanagi's way. Damn, that game had the potential to be a real hornets nest. He better get this taken care of now. Rising from his chair, he came in behind his brother, placing a hand on the younger god's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Sounds like that game takes too much effort to play," he spoke in a jovial tone, hoping it would defuse any disappointment Apollon would have. "You know how I feel about anything being too labor intensive...except for growing my grapes."

"I think your other games sound much more fun!" Kusanagi added to back up the God of Fertility's line of thought.

Apollon shrugged and looked up at his brother with an impish grin. "I bet you could easily identify with the game "Headache" since you are the God of Hangovers..."

Hades nearly snorted his strawberry and banana juice out of his nose as he struggled not to chuckle.

"That's God of Merriment to you, you annoying ray of sunshine in my face!" Dionysus said with an exaggerated, pious air. "Maybe if you partook more of the nectar of the grape, you'd understand the difference."

"I do know the difference. It's whether you are wearing your toga, or you are wearing your toga on your head!" the Sun God shot back playfully.

The God of Wine waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Shows what you know. I wouldn't be wearing a toga at all!" he jabbed.

A shocked gasp stopped the Greek brothers from their banter. They turned their eyes to the source, finding Yui staring at them with crimson stainedcheeks.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Fairy! Really sorry! We didn't mean to offend!" Apollon spoke, his green orbs beseeching forgiveness.

"I know you didn't mean any harm," Kusanagi admitted, her blush deepening. "I...I was caught by surprise, that's all..."

The Sun God let out a relieved sigh. "Kalos!"

Tsukito looked over at their human representative. "From your reaction on the topic of nudity, it was good you didn't witness the incident earlier."

"Bro!" Takeru cried out. "She doesn't need to know about that!"

Her eyes growing wide, Yui looked around the table at the other gods. "What are you talking about?"

"I played a prank on Dee-Dee to wake him up," Apollon provided, "and he...mph!" Hades' hand reached over and covered his nephew's mouth, hoping to keep the conversation from getting any more embarrassing.

"Why are you silencing Apollon Agana Belea?" the Moon god asked in confusion. "Kusanagi Yui asked to know what happened and he was informing her. It wasn't as if she herself witnessed Dionysus Thyrsos...mm-mm?" Tsukito found his mouth covered by his younger brother's hand.

The God of Wine broke out into a hearty laugh, but was silenced by a stern look from his uncle. He threw his arms out in question. "What'd I do?!"

"If you had gotten up when you were supposed to, none of '**that**' would have happened," Hades answered curtly as he removed his hand from the Sun God's mouth.

Dionysus' mouth flew open in disbelief. "What? It's all my fault?!"

"Yes!" Hades and Apollon said in unison.

"What the hell?" the redheaded Greek muttered with a shake of his head.

"How about we all focus on finishing our morning meal," Thor suggested with a frown. "We don't have much time before we start classes."

The others fell silent and did what the God of Thunder asked, choosing to spend the rest of their time eating.

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Today, the first class was gym, and as usual, Thoth herded the gods inside the massive gymnasium and closed the door behind him, allowing the younger generation of deities to fend for themselves. Yui glanced around at her fellow classmates, watching how they entertained themselves.

Apollon was having a great time doing slam dunks against the basketball hoop, while Tsukito watched on, taking notes. The human girl had to chuckle when the Greek god took away the Japanese god's notebook, replacing it with the basketball. The God of the Sun was going to have his hands full trying to teach the sedate Moon God how to play.

A furious Takeru was busy chasing Loki around the built in track as the God of Mischief laughed in glee. Kusanagi did a double take. Wait. Was that a squirt gun in Loki's hand?

Balder was surrounded by the rest of the students as he did simple stretching exercises before starting his regimen.

Thor was sitting in the bleachers with a bored expression, while Dionysus lounged nearby. Hades was standing beside the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he kept his eyes downcast. His stand-offish posture reminded Yui of what she saw in the vision last night.

The Japanese teenager lowered her head in thought. She promised Athena-san to tell her about the visions, but would it hurt to tell Hades-san about the one that happened in the Underworld? She did vow that she would tell him the truth about the incident with baby Apollon-san. Clenching her fists, Kusanagi decided to talk to the God of the Underworld about it. Her face set in determination, she walked up to the morose deity, surprising him.

"Hades-san, may I have a word with you outside?" she asked. "There is something important I need to tell you." Focused on the god in front of her, Yui didn't notice that the eyes and ears of the other gods had been drawn to them.

Hades' face flushed in embarrassment. Why was he being singled out? "If-if it is that important...," he reluctantly agreed. After opening the door, he followed the human girl out into the hallway.

The other gods in the gymnasium hurried to the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wayward pair. Yui and Hades were too far down the hallway to eavesdrop on, so all they could do was watch their actions.

At first, Kusanagi was doing all the talking, her movements animated, like she wanted to make sure the god understood her words. The one sided conversion continued on for a few minutes, until Hades' head jolted up as if in shock. He then reached out toward the girl, grasping her by the shoulders as he spoke to her. The Japanese teen then nodded her head vigorously. When he began to drop his arms, Yui grasped both of his hands, her face earnest as she spoke.

A collective gasp was heard from the group of peeping gods as they tried to come to terms with the scene they witnessed. Dionysus watched his younger brother's reaction closely, concern building when he saw Apollon jerk as if he had been punched in the gut, only to recover scant seconds later with his plastered on smile.

"Did...did Yui just confess to Aidoneus?" Balder asked, his brows furrowing in consternation.

"Weed chose him?" Takeru echoed in disbelief. "I mean Hades is cool and all, but really...him?"

"What did she confess?" Tsukito asked the others. "It must not be good, judging by your reactions."

"A confession would mean that Fairy told Uncle Hades that she liked him," Apollon explained in an overly cheerful tone. "We need to be happy for them!"

Dionysus frowned. To everyone else, his little brother appeared to be okay with the situation, but he saw through the facade. Hell, he's been seeing that forced cheerfulness for decades. Damn it all! Why now?! He ran both hands over his spiked red hair in inner frustration. Hades was older than even Zeus!

The group of gods grew silent when all of a sudden Yui and Hades began to hurry in the opposite direction from the gymnasium.

"Should we follow them?" Loki asked the others.

"Maybe they want to be alone?" Apollon pointed out without his usual vigor.

"Maybe he's making Weed go along," Takeru said urgently. "We have to protect her!"

"I agree!" Balder inserted forcefully. "She is a delicate flower who needs to be shielded..."

"Are you guys done?" Thor said irritably. "We have no idea what is going on, and is it really any of our business?"

Apollon turned his eyes to the now empty hallway. "Thor-Thor is right. It isn't our business, and Uncle Hades would never force anyone to do as he bids." He tried to summon a confident smile, but found it faltered as his eyes connected with his brother's. Dee-Dee knew all too well the act he was trying to play, and wouldn't be fooled so easily.

At the fleeting look of sadness in his little brother's eyes, Dionysus suppressed the urge to go over and give Apollon a brotherly bear hug. Doing so would draw unwanted attention to the blond Greek's dashed hopes. He supposed the other gods were also dealing with their own feelings of disappointment over the possibility of Kusanagi having confessed to someone else.

Everyone turned away from the door way and came back inside the gym, but none of them felt like continuing their physical education. Even Apollon was acting aloof, wandering around the big gymnasium without any goal in mind.

Balder returned to his throng of admirers, but he didn't focus on what they were saying as his blue eyes kept staring at the door.

Loki and Takeru stood apart, their feud forgotten for the moment as they stared off into the distance.

The ever punctual Tsukito glanced down at this watch, his face barely changing. "We are running late. We will have exactly twenty minutes to shower and be seated for our first class."

Panic filled the other gods faces at the thought of an irritated Thoth Caduceus, and it caused them to rush to the showers so not to be late.

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Athena paced back and forth in her classroom, her mind warring with her emotions over Apollon. The rational part of her mind wanted to wait until the right time to reveal her presence, but her emotional side wanted to rush out as he walked by and engulf him in the biggest 'I missed you so much' hug ever given.

With a sigh, she decided that waiting would be the best option. Closing the door, she resisted the urge to peek out of it's small, square window when she heard the footsteps and voices of the students filling the hallway. Her steel will would melt the minute she laid eyes upon him, so it would be best to avoid that temptation.

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The younger generation of gods strolled through the hallways behind the throng of spirit students, their thoughts continuing to dwell on the unsettling actions of Hades and Kusanagi Yui, who were still missing.

The God of Fertility caught up with the pace his brother was walking at, slipping a supportive arm over the younger deity's shoulder. He winked when his sibling met his gaze, signaling he had his back. Apollon gave him a genuine smile in appreciation as they proceeded on in companionable silence.

Thoth was standing behind his desk as he watched the younger gods enter the classroom wearing long-faced expressions. The Egyptian god let out a sarcastic snort under his breath. Great, now he had to deal with moody morons. He scanned the room for Hades and Kusanagi Yui. Why weren't they present?

Looking over at the 'class president', Apollon Agana Belea, he demanded, "Where is your emo uncle and the opinionated human?"

The Sun God lowered his gaze and shrugged. "We're not sure where they are, Master Thoth."

"They were with you in the gymnasium. How can you not know where they went?"

"Kusanagi Yui confessed to Hades Aidoneus out in the hallway, and then they left together," Tsukito replied blandly. "Maybe they wanted privacy to become a couple."

The Egyptian God of Knowledge stopped himself from doing a double take, turning his incredulity into irritation. "Do not spout nonsense!" he snapped. "I want the truth!"

Apollon raised his hand. "But it is true!"

Cobalt blue eyes fixed coldly upon the blond student. "An idiot vouching for an imbecile...why does that scenario defy logic?" Thoth grabbed a stick of chalk as he turned his body to the chalk board. A smirk lit at the corner of his mouth. Maybe today would be a good time to talk about how male and female hormones play into attraction. It would be amusing to dig the knife of rejection a little deeper into those hellions of stupidity.

Apollon tried to keep his focus on the lesson being taught, but his mind kept traveling back to Fairy and Uncle Hades in the hallway. Hadn't he always wanted his beloved Uncle to find happiness? Didn't he proclaim to Dee-Dee that he'd support whoever Fairy chose? He let out disheartened sigh. Another failed attempt at love. When was he going to learn to quit making the same mistakes? Maybe he should take the stance of his twin sister and avoid falling in love all together.

His sharp hearing picking up on the soft sigh, Thoth's head swivelled severely towards the distracted god, his ire rising. That blond bubble brain dared to ignore his words of wisdom?! He knew just the thing to make sure he obtained the attention he demanded.

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The Goddess of Strategic Warfare quietly opened her door and peeked her head out, scanning the hallway for any sign of life. Great, the coast was clear! She snuck out of the classroom and hurried over to the closed door that held her precious brother, glancing covertly through the door's glass window. The waiting was driving her crazy! It would only take a moment to make sure Sunbeam was okay...

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Thoth strode purposely to the still distracted Sun God, slamming his hand dramatically upon the wooden desk, causing Apollon's head to jerk up in shock. He then thrusted his face right into the younger god's, his voice almost venomous.

"Idiot! Whatever insignificant pebbles of thought that are going through that vacuous space of your mind is nothing compared to the infinite knowledge I am graciously bestowing upon you!"

His peripheral vison caught sight of a black, white and blue blur as the classroom door crashed open. Thoth barely had time to register the intrusion when the Egyptian god suddenly found himself falling forward as a pair of hands grasped upon his shirt collar, while at the same time his left foot was kicked out from underneath him. Before his face met the floor, he saw a fierce flash of grey, like rolling storm clouds. A knee digging into his back, and the cruel twisting of his left arm behind him brought the god quickly back to his senses.

"**YOU BLASPHEMOUS SWINE! HOW DARE YOU TREAT A GOD OF HIS IMPORTANCE SO DISRESPECTFULLY!**" A female voice bellowed in fury above him. "**APOLOGIZE AND REPENT OR I WILL RAIN TORTUROUS PAIN DOWN UPON YOUR SORRY ASS!**"

The instant the female deity screamed her words, the window closest to Apollon burst open, a gigantic white owl flying through it. Its large talons grabbed both sides of the Sun God's school blazer, the expansive wings flapping furiously as the bird attempted to drag the stunned male back towards the window.

"Protect Sunbeam!" Athena ordered her pet, using her free hand to grab a hold of Thoth's white hair, tugging his head backwards. "Beg for mercy you filthy, rat bastard!" she snarled at the Egyptian.

Apollon's head swung back and forth between the woman and the bird in absolute confusion. Was he hallucinating? How could she be here?! "Thea-Thea?" he asked in a barely audible voice, still being held back by the powerful owl's grip.

When Loki and Takeru tried to move from their seats in an attempt to reach Apollon, the white owl screeched out a high pitched warning, it's beak ready to peck out the eyes of anyone who tried to come close.

The blond deity frantically held his hands out in front of him to stop their forward progress. "I'm fine...stay where you are. I know this owl." Apollon turned his attention back to the bird of prey, gently stroking the white feathers as he spoke in a soothing voice, "It's okay, Hoot-Hoot. They're my friends, so there's no threat to me."

At that moment, Dionysus' sleepy head popped up from the desktop, his lanky frame stretching out as he began to wake fully. "Damn, that was some nightmare! I dreamt I heard Crazy Scary's voice, and then her lackey owl was going all spastic..."

Stormy grey eyes shot daggers at the speaker. "What the hell was that, Grape Juice?!" The goddess released her grip on Thoth's hair, shoving his face back down to the floor. "Why weren't you protecting your brother from such brutality?!" she demanded hotly.

"What?!" The God of Wine's eyes nearly bugged out of his head in horror as he took in the sight of his aggressive sister sitting on top of Thoth. "I'm having a waking nightmare!" He leapt from his seat and rushed out the door of the classroom, fearful his 'dream' was indeed reality. "All gods fend for themselves!" he cried out as he raced down the hallway.

"**WOMAN**!" Thoth yelled from his prone position. "**GET YOUR MASS OF CELLULITE OFF ME NOW!**"

"Make me!" Athena shot back. "I'll relish humiliating you even further!"

"Thea-Thea!" Apollon called out, his tone of voice almost imploring. "Is it really you?! Is it? Please let it be true!"

The Warrior goddess forgot about the enemy below her as she rushed to her brother's side. Her owl immediately released the Sun God, allowing for the two siblings to reunite. Athena gave the younger god a bone crushing hug, the other deity returning the hug with as much intensity. The room suddenly became filled with twinkling, multicolored spots of light, surprising and delighting everyone in the class (except for the male god on the floor).

Grasping the sides of his face, the Goddess of Wisdom gave Apollon a kiss on each of his cheeks as tears began to fill her eyes. "Sunbeam! You prisimed! Its...its been so long since you've done that!" She squeezed her brother again, her wet eyes meeting his.

"Don't cry, Thea-Thea!" Apollon said in concern. "I don't want to see you upset!"

Giving a quick swipe at her grey orbs, the goddess laughed. "Silly! I'm crying because I'm so happy! Not only do I get to see you after a year apart, I also get to witness you prism."

The Sun God gave his big sister a winsome smile. "It's so great to see you! How did you convince Father to let you come visit?"

"Better than that! I'm going to be a teacher here too!"

Apollon's face broke into an open mouthed smile, the room once again filling with his special prisms. "Kalos! You will be an amazing teacher!"

Thoth pulled himself to his feet in one fluid motion, fists clinched to his sides in rage as he stood behind his attacker. "**What**...**do**...**you**...**think**...**you**...**are**...**doing**?!" the God of Knowledge growled out between clenched teeth.

Athena continued to keep Apollon wrapped tightly in her arms, not even turning her head to look back at the male deity speaking to her. "I am protecting my precious brother from heathen bullies," she spoke nonchalantly. "Be grateful he's a kind and gracious god to forgive such sacrilege to his person."

"This is my class!" Thoth said in anger. He pointed his index finger at Apollon. "**You** will sit back down at your desk, your uncouth 'sister from Hell' will leave my room, and the lesson will commence!"

The Sun God looked at his professor. "But shouldn't she be introduced to the others? That would be the polite and proper thing to do since she's already here."

"This Amazonian muscle brain ruined any chance of civility, so she will leave **MY CLASS** immediately," the Egyptian God of Knowledge snarled, a stress vein popping out in his forehead as his eyes stared at the female deity in hostility.

Turning around, Athena crossed her arms over her chest resolutely. "What a whiny wuss you are! I will not leave since I cannot trust you not to retaliate against my brother."

The two gods of wisdom stared at each other in an uncongenial silent challenge, neither one giving ground to the other. Apollon glanced between them nervously, echoing the unease the others in the room felt. The white owl, Hoot-Hoot, settled upon the blond Greek's shoulder, its eyes focused on the menacing, tanned male, ready to protect its master if need be.

He had to act, or things were really going to get out of control! Placing a hand gently upon Athena's shoulder, the Sun God said calmly, "Thea-Thea, please don't be upset with Master Thoth. I wasn't paying attention in class, so he had every right to be annoyed with me."

Thoth narrowed his eyes at the younger god. "I do not need your overly active mouth explaining my legitimate actions towards you," he snapped. "Now sit down!" Apollon nodded his head mutely in obedience as he hurried to retake his seat.

The Goddess of Warfare began to furiously unbutton her blazer, and then threw the fabric into the Egyptian's face after she removed it. "**That does it! I'm kicking your ass into antiquity!**"

"**ATHENA!**" a deep, male voice yelled into the classroom, causing the female deity to cringe and Thoth to smirk. Zeus stood in the open doorway, his golden eyes ablaze in ferocity. Behind him, Hades and Yui stood back a few inches, staring at the scene in shock and confusion.

What in the world was going on?!


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

At Gaia's urging, Hera opened the portal that allowed her to watch Apollon's daily activities. The women were caught totally by surprise when they viewed the statuesque figure of Athena hugging the Sun God.

"What-what is she doing there?!" The Queen of the Heavens exclaimed in dismay as she swiped her hand over the portal, closing it off from viewing. "Zeus had refused her requests to go to that academy many times, so why is she there now? We can't hope to get away with any sort of plan with her around! She'll be obsessively watching over him like always."

"I wonder **who** is the cause of her overprotection of Apollon?" Mother Earth shot back at the younger deity in a clipped tone, frowning in concern. "I am not happy with this new wrinkle either. She is the Goddess of Wisdom for a reason. We will have to pay extra close attention to the smallest of details." The ancient goddess ran her index finger back and forth under her chin in deep thought. "I see two silver linings in this scenario."

"I can't even see one!" Hera snapped. She wanted to throw something in frustration. Of all the gods Zeus allowed to come! It had to the one who was wily enough to figure out their plan before its sprung!

"If we were only talking of your involvement, I can see where it would troublesome," Gaia agreed. "She is already suspicious of you, but...she won't suspect me as being involved."

Placing a hand on her hip, the Goddess of Marriage mocked, "Oh...and you aren't known to have caused trouble with the Olympians in the past?"

Her blue eyes narrowing, Gaia fought the urge to power blast the disrespectful goddess into the nearest wall. Queen of the Heavens or not, Hera was not nearly as powerful as herself. Collecting her emotions, the Earth Goddess turned the conversation back to the issue at hand. "The second silver lining is that she'll be so focused on her brother that we will be able to maneuver behind the scenes with the help of that male spirit. With the Helmet of Invisibility, he would be able to go places Athena cannot."

"Ah yes, the helmet we have no chance at obtaining," Hera muttered irritably. "To do that means we have to get by that hellish hound who would tear us to shreds."

"True, but if Cerberus isn't there..."

"That monster would never leave it's post! Especially since Hades is at that school."

Gaia gave a sly grin. "I do know of one person where he would...if Cerberus thought there was a threat."

Brown eyes grew wide in realization. "Apollon?! But if we create a threat, won't that draw possible attention to our plans?"

"This threat is an old one," Mother Earth pointed out. "You do realize that the human girl, Kusanagi Yui, wears the ancient artifact "Ama no Murakumo"? She is still having visions of Apollon's past, and I know one in particular that would definitely get Zeus' attention, enough to bring him down to the Underworld himself."

Staring dumbfounded at the older deity, Hera finally asked, "How do you know what visions that girl is having?"

"I allowed it," Gaia replied with a feigned wink. "Thanks to 'our' special box..."

Panic fought for control through Hera's body. Wait a minute! The box filled with all her devious schemes?! What was being revealed?!

Mother Earth wanted to laugh at the look on Hera's face, but she resisted. "The human only saw the form of an infant Apollon all alone with a trail of orange pieces that conveniently led him down to the Underworld. She also witnessed the first time Cerberus and Apollon met."

By the gods! What was going through Gaia's mind to allow that to surface!? Zeus was convinced the little brat found his way down to the Underworld on his own, so now her husband will be forced to investigate all over again! Quelling her shaking nerves, Hera fixed the older woman with a fierce look.

"Zeus will be coming to me first, demanding answers! How can you think it would help us?!"

"Now calm down, Hera," the Earth Goddess said nonchalantly. "I'm sure you'll be able to cleverly lie to Zeus like you've done many times in the past. But I advise you to play up the fact at how suddenly and how deeply you fell asleep before our baby Sun God disappeared from his bed."

Thinking over Gaia's suggestion, the Goddess of Marriage nodded her head in agreement. "It would make Zeus suspect someone drugged me, thus eliminating me as a suspect."

"Exactly! Of course he would then visit Cerberus to ask questions, and that would cause the hound to get anxious over his '_puppy_'." The older deity stopped and pointed at Hera. "Be prepared to have an unhappy Cerberus appearing at your doorstep. If that happens, you have to make sure you convince Zeus to let the beast see Apollon. Once he's at the academy, we will have a small window to switch the helmets."

"Switch?"

Gaia smirked. "I created an exact replica of the helmet that would fool anybody...until you tried to use it. My aim is to switch out the two helmets so then we won't have to rush our plans." The goddess pointed to the bowl of water. "May we now go back to watching our prey?"

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Zeus began to walk towards the front of the class, his furious gaze fixed solely upon the Goddess of Wisdom. He was tempted to send the female deity home that instant, but from his seated position, Apollon suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around Athena's mid-section.

"Thea-Thea misunderstood!" he tried to explain to his angry father. "If anyone is to blame for all of this, it's me!"

The supreme ruler of the gods ignored his son and directed his ire at the woman in front of him. "Daughter," he growled, "words cannot express how upset I am right now! I can tell from the state of Thoth's appearance, that you attacked him! Those kind of actions are intolerable!"

Noting that the Sun God still had his arms around Athena's waist, Zeus barked out, "Apollon! Release your sister!"

"No!" Apollon said assertively, the hold intensifying as he laid the side of his head upon his sister stomach. His green eyes held challenge. "It was all a misunderstanding! If you would just listen..."

His grip tightening on his staff, the God of the Heavens gave his son a disapproving glare. "Let go of her right now, or you will be going back to Olympus with her as well!"

"That's not fair!" Yui couldn't help herself. She didn't want her new friend to leave either. "You haven't heard the whole story!"

Whirling around, Zeus fixed the girl with a angry scowl. "I can easily send you back to your world also!"

"Stop threatening everyone, Father. I don't deny I protected my brother from that 'bully', but the more important issue is that Sunbeam prismed when he knew I was staying," Athena stated matter of fact as she fully turned around to face her father, breaking free of her brother's hold. "Sending me back would only ruin his happiness."

The other gods in the room finally got a good look at the newcomer, and all of their eyes widened in amazement at the heavenly beauty before them. They shared a knowing glance between themselves. Apollon and Dionysus' sister was frigging hot!

"You-You prismed?" Hades asked in a low voice, steadily nearing his nephew until he was standing directly over him. Receiving an enthusiastic nod and a beaming smile from Apollon, the God of the Underworld bent down and wrapped his arms around the blond's torso, pulling the younger god to his chest.

Momentarily surprised, the Sun God laid limp in his uncle's embrace. His Uncle Hades willingly hugged him first? A wave of pure joy overcame him at the realization and he returned the hug ecstatically.

Once again the classroom filled with multicolored prisms, and this time Zeus and Hades were able to witness the spectacle. Zeus stood stunned for a moment. Prisms? After all this time? The ruler of the Olympians closed his eyes. Never could he have imagined that sending the Sun God to this academy would've produced this kind of result.

Thoth looked around him in wonder. He hadn't properly seen them before since he was pinned face first on the ground by the Amazonian Terror. The sparkling dots of dancing light suddenly made his fury drain a little. What was going on?

Rubbing at his temple, Zeus lowered his head to hide his emotion. He had to appear unfazed even though he longed to go over and join the celebration. Did he really deserve to revel in his son's happiness? Wasn't he the cause of the prisms disappearing in the first place?

Dionysus warily stuck his head into the classroom, his green eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets at the sight that greeted him. Glittering prisms covered the room and as his line of vision moved to the source, he found Hades hugging Apollon with the biggest grin on his face, and his little brother showing absolute delight.

He rushed into the room and shoved his uncle aside, literally dragging his dazed sibling out of his chair to hoist him up mid-way into the air. "Sunny Shine! You're prisming! When did this start? Have you been hiding this from us?"

"Put him down before he gets sick!" Athena demanded, slapping the top of the Wine God's arm. Dionysus obeyed, but refused to let go of the blond, instead cupping the sides of Apollon's face and squeezing his cheeks.

"You're finally back with us! Finally!" the God of Fertility cried out happily.

A loud clearing of the throat ceased the celebration, Thoth's eyes narrowing in displeasure. "This is a class of learning, not a party!" he said curtly. "Everyone sit down!" He looked fiercely at Athena. "We still haven't discussed the issue of my unwarranted assault."

The Warrior Goddess shrugged her shoulders. "Assault or ass whupping...you got your manhood handed to ya." A smattering of chuckles could be heard, mainly from Loki and Takeru.

"Athena, introduce yourself to your students," Zeus demanded, "and Thoth, follow me outside to the hallway."

"What?!" Thoth couldn't believe what he was hearing. "She acted like some crazed Amazon warrior on steroids, and is allowed to stay?!"

"The fact you are still standing and able to use all of your functions means she only roughed you up. Athena could've easily done much more damage if she so chose," the Supreme God answered with a heavy sigh. "I'm sure in her mind her actions were justifiable." He then gave his daughter a stern look. "But I will not tolerate any more behavior like this! You shamed your title of Goddess of Reason."

Athena nodded her head in compliance. "I will endeavor to keep myself from inflicting my wrath where that monocle wearing prick is concerned...as long as Sunbeam is not affected."

Pointing his staff of power at the goddess, the leader of the Olympians warned, "Unless Thoth is attempting to murder your brother, you do not attack or interfere! You will be sent back to Olympus immediately, no questions asked."

The female deity folded her arms across her chest with a pout. "Fine."

Satisfied with her answer, Zeus motioned for Thoth to join him outside. He knew the other god was not pleased with his decision to let Athena stay, but he hoped to make the Egyptian understand his reasoning.

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Hera's whole body shook in seething rage as she watched the scene in the classroom. Clenching her fists tightly, the Queen of the Heavens lifted her hands above her head as she yelled, "**Apollon is now prisming?! After all my efforts over the years...that little bastard gets to prism again**!?"

The elegantly decorated room began to rumble violently as beams of raw power escaped from Hera's fisted hands. Gaia reacted quickly and cast a protection spell over her jeweled tree and the vision bowl of water. Within seconds, everything else in the room was destroyed. The Earth Goddess gave the younger goddess a disapproving frown.

"My Queen, calm down," she said in a soothing voice.

"I CAN'T!" the Goddess of Marriage screamed. "**BY ALL THE GODS, I** **HATE HIM SO MUCH!** I CAN'T EVEN TAKE PLEASURE FROM HIS SUFFERING ANYMORE! NO! HE GETS TO BE '**HAPPY**' WHILE I AM STILL MADE MISERABLE BY HIS PRESENCE! HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO CALM DOWN?!"

Gaia reached out and slapped Hera hard on the right cheek. She was tired of all this unreasonable drama! Not to mention hitting the insolent deity was satisfying in itself.

"Think with your head, not your emotions," she admonished tersely. "Let him think all is well with his world. Your hysterics won't help our cause!" Gaia paused briefly. "Besides, our actions will be even more devastating if our Sun God finds his true happiness again, don't you think?"

Holding her stinging cheek, Hera stared at the Earth Goddess, nodding her head mutely.

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Hermes felt the tremors beneath his feet, as if Mount Olympus was suddenly besieged by an earthquake. The speedy god had a good idea where the epicenter was. Their illustrious Queen was pissed off again, and taking it out on the immediate surroundings.

He rushed quickly to the ornate doors that shielded Hera's private domain, hoping to catch a snippet of what could have caused this current temper tantrum. His heart sank when he heard the words _'hate him so much'_ being screamed out. The more he listened the more concerned he became. Even when Apollon wasn't around, the bitter goddess still had to get all worked up over him.

A massive hand clamped down upon the Messenger of the God's shoulder, causing the younger god to glance behind him. The imposing, muscular, and brutish form of Ares, God of War, glared down upon his younger half brother, his deep brown eyes demanding answers.

"Uhm, your mother is having one of her epic fits of pissdom," Hermes supplied weakly with a shrug of his shoulders. Why did Ares always have to look like he wanted to kill someone? It never failed to creep him out when the savage warrior god snuck up behind him.

"If you are referring to 'our' Queen, I know that too," Ares half snapped, removing his hand. "Eavesdropping again?"

"Hey now! How else can I find out about anything? It's not like Hera is a forthcoming goddess."

"Leave!" Ares ordered, giving the much smaller male a hard shove away from the doors. "I will deal with her." Hermes scurried away without much protest. Better Ares than him to deal with that wrathful goddess!

The God of War lifted a fist and beat it soundly upon the door, his deep voice raised to get the attention of the person inside the private room. "What is going on in there?!"

"Go away!"

"No! Not until you tell me the cause of this commotion! Several gods thought our home was being destroyed by some gigantic monster!"

"I-I just lost my temper...," Hera shot back, her son's commanding tone irritating her. "I don't need to explain my actions to you!"

"Would you like for me to guess at your reasons from outside your door?" Ares asked in a sarcastic tone. "After all the ruckus you caused, I'm sure there are a few curious 'ears' within the vicinity."

Inside the room, Hera glanced nervously at Gaia. What should she do? If Ares came inside, he would know the Earth Goddess was there too.

"I will go hide inside of my jeweled tree so he doesn't see me," Gaia offered with a roll of her eyes. "It would be best to let your son in than have him talking too much out in the hall."

Nodding her head in agreement, the Goddess of Marriage waited a few minutes before opening her doors. She frowned at her son as he strolled inside without any form of acknowledgment or protocol.

The God of War let out a whistle at the massive amount of damage in the private domain. "Normally for you to react this strongly has something to do with Apollon." He turned dark eyes to his mother. "What has he done now? He's been gone from Olympus for over a year, and you still find a reason to be angry at him?!"

At Hera's stubborn silence, Ares continued his train of thought. "Wait a minute! Is the fact that Father is at that secret island with Apollon instead of here with you the issue?"

"Zeus should be here doing his duties as a ruler and as a husband!" Hera responded heatedly. "Of course it's that stupid Sun God's fault! He's always so needy, even as a small child."

Sighing, the male deity shook his head. "Let it be. Apollon can't help how he came into the world, so you should stop directing your wrath over your marriage at him."

"He should never have been brought to Olympus!" the goddess snapped. "His presence here is a humiliating slap to my face! I can't bear the sight of him!"

"He's never done anything but treat you respectfully. Or is it more because he resembles Leto so strongly in both personality and appearance? You don't feel such hatred about Artemis, but maybe that's because she resembles Father to a greater extent."

Folding her arms across her chest, Hera glared at her eldest child. "I can't believe what I am hearing! My own son, my own flesh and blood, taking the side of that bastard offspring! You should be defending my position...I am your Mother!"

"Mother?!" Ares threw his head back in laughter. "Wasn't it my **mother** who severely wounded me during the Trojan War? My crime...helping the Trojans who begged and prayed to me for help. It was all thanks to your **loving act** that I got to know my brother better. Apollon was the only one who gave a damn about me, doing his best to heal my wounds."

"He only healed you because you were fighting on the same side!"

"He healed any of us who were hurt, it didn't matter what side we were on. Apollon was exhausted himself, but he put my well being above his own. I could feel his compassion and love for me when he mended my injuries. Despite how I treated him with scorn for centuries, he still reacted with kindness."

Furious, the Queen of the Heavens pointed in the direction of her doorway. "I don't want to hear you speak anymore about that insufferable bastard! Leave me!"

Ares glanced between his mother and the doors, his eyes narrowing in admonishment. "I will leave, but I give you a warning...," he said in a threatening tone as he walked closer to the female deity. "Do not cause any more distress to Apollon. I stood by in the past, but no longer." With his message delivered, the God of War left the room, leaving an enraged goddess behind.

Minutes after her son left, Hera could hear snickering coming from the jeweled tree. Her last nerve shredded, she bellowed at the amused goddess, "Be quiet!"

"You have such a way with everyone!" Gaia said between chuckles. Her laughter grew when she heard the slamming of doors.

Oh how priceless Hera's reaction was!

*Author's Note* I didn't really see where Ares hated Apollon, and they did fight together with the Trojans, so I had them 'bond' because of it. And yes, I did read a tale where Hera inflicted Ares with a serious wound during the war. Something about him having "Trojan blood". Not sure where he could've gotten it from... Aphrodite was injured in another incident, so the Gods could get ouchies too ;) Since Apollon was a god of healing, I don't see why he couldn't heal family members as well.

Thanks goes out for all who are reading, for the comments, and those following my story!


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Zeus led the obviously annoyed Egyptian god out into the hallway, away from earshot. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy sell about letting Athena stay, but he had to find some way to explain it. Normally he would put on his Alpha god attitude, but the male beside him was no lower level deity. '_This is how its going to be_' dictate would not be an option.

The Ruler of the Heavens almost snorted at the irony. That explanation wouldn't mollify Athena either. Squaring his shoulders back, the older god chose his words carefully. "I truly apologize for my daughter's behavior towards you. Under any other circumstances, she would have been removed immediately, but with the knowledge of Apollon prisming again, I couldn't do it."

Thoth crossed his arms across his chest. "I take it those 'prisms' were the light show inside the classroom? Why is it so important? Isn't that a normal function of his Sun powers?"

"It is, but these are different. He creates them without needing a beam of sunlight," Zeus replied with a fond smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Those multicolored prims would appear when Apollon was at his happiest."

The God of Knowledge pinched the bridge of his nose. Fantastic. He could envision the air-head constantly filling his classroom with those twinkling lights, disrupting his lessons.

Not looking over in Thoth's direction, Zeus continued. "Whenever Apollon would prism, you could feel your mood lessen. His happiness was contagious."

Recalling how his irritation lessened when he had viewed the prisms, Thoth shrugged off the notion that the idiot's happiness had affected him. "I get the impression that it had been a while since your son had done this prisming?"

Lowering his head, the supreme god nodded. "He hasn't prismed since that day in the Underworld."

Thoth's eyes opened a little in surprise. It had been that long? "Surely Apollon had moments of happiness since then?"

Zeus' tone took on a sad, almost longing edge to it. "Yes he did, yet there was a small part of himself that was holding back from truly expressing how he felt." His strong hand tightened on his staff of power as he struggled to admit to the guilt he carried for centuries. "I had given up hope of ever getting my little ray of sunshine back, but today I witnessed his return with my own eyes. How could I justify taking away his happiness when I was the cause of him losing his true joy in the first place?"

Uncharacteristically, the Egyptian deity lightly placed a hand upon the older god's shoulder in understanding. "You took the actions you did to protect your son. There wasn't much of a choice given."

"Yes," Zeus reluctantly agreed. "I can never express my gratitude to you and Ra taking my side at that assembly. Your support quieted the dissenters."

"Your side was the reasonable and correct position to take. Your **wife** on the other hand, was far too extreme with her demands." Thoth thought back briefly to the tumultuous meeting many centuries ago. Deities from many different cultures filled the room, making it difficult to see everyone. He never got to lay eyes upon the infamous Hera, but her shrill voice dripping with acid could be heard above the din before she was forcibly removed.

The God of the Skies let out an angry snort. "Her vehemence even shocked the others who originally agreed with her. And she wonders why I don't want to be around her anymore."

"I do not envy your marital situation," Thoth admitted. There was something to be said for being single.

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"Everyone! I'd like to formally introduce to you my wonderful sister, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, Reason, Literature, Handicrafts, and Strategic Warfare!" Apollon announced with pride. He turned his attention to the white owl perched on his shoulder. "And this is Hoot-Hoot! He's Thea-Thea's pet and helper." The bird gave a small hoot in an attempt to acknowledge the others.

When the female deity finally focused on her 'students', she suddenly regretted having lost control like that in front of them. They were all staring at her with mouths agape, and sitting absolutely still in their chairs. Grabbing a hold of her long braid, she nervously rubbed her fingers up and down the silken strands. Would they be afraid of her, thus rejecting her teaching? If that happened, she would be sent back to Olympus and be separated again from Apollon.

"Greetings to you...I had planned to meet you all under...better...circumstances...," she began quietly as her head dropped slightly. Strong arms wrapped around her shoulders as a golden head rested briefly against her cheek.

"Don't worry, they're going to love you!" the Sun God said with an encouraging smile. "Tell us all about what you are going to teach us, okay? Please tell us."

Strengthened by her little brother's support, the Goddess of Wisdom nodded and addressed the classroom with more assurance. "Starting today, I will be instructing you on Geography, Literature and Cultural Studies." She gave a wink to help lighten the mood. "Don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm sure none of you are like 'Master Thoth'." A small smattering of chuckles filled the room and Athena felt relief at the sound.

Her eyes lit up happily when she noticed a green haired male lift his hand up in the air. "Yes? And please tell me your name as well."

The God of Thunder cleared his throat nervously, causing Loki to look at him curiously. "I am Thor Megingjard, and I really don't have a question...but..." He looked down at his desk as his cheeks turned a slight tinge of red. "I wanted to compliment you on your fighting technique. It was quite masterful."

Athena's face broke into a pleased smile. "I humbly accept the praise of an Asgardian warrior such as yourself!" Thor glanced up, a small grin on his face.

The God of the Sea wanted to get into the discussion too. "I am Takeru Totsuka. Are you as skilled in all forms of combat?"

"I try to acquaint myself on all different fighting styles. Even the modern day ones."

"I told them this morning that you even helped in the development of some!" Apollon added.

"You were talking about me today?" The female goddess asked, a little surprised. "What brought that about?"

Dionysus tried to stop the beads of sweat from breaking out on his forehead. Should he make a run for it? No, that would be too obvious. By the gods, if Crazy Scary found out that he not only hit Apollon once, but twice on the head...he would be punished worse than Thoth! His younger brother's answer eased some of his nervousness.

"I can talk about my amazing big sister all day! All day long!" the blond male exclaimed.

"You are just the most precious thing...," Athena cooed, rubbing a hand through the hair on top of the Sun God's head. Her hand stopped petting the satin strands when she felt two bumps. Apollon's cringing and slight hiss of pain affirmed the goddess' immediate suspicion.

"WHO...DARED...TO...GIVE...YOU...OUCHIES?" The Goddess of Wisdom demanded as her voice raised to an almost threatening tone. "They will experience pain ten times worse than what they inflicted upon you!" Multiple small objects like pencils, erasers, and notebooks lifted up magically and hovered in mid-air, ready to become weapons if Athena mentally wished it. As Dionysus debated whether to beg for mercy, Apollon hugged his irritated sister from the front. Hoot-Hoot also joined in, rubbing it's face against the side of Athena's face in an effort to calm her down.

"There's nothing to worry about, so it's all fine. I'm in human form so it's easier for me to get ouchies," he tried to explain. "If you get upset, Father might send you back home, and I don't want that."

Letting out a resigned sigh, the goddess nodded, and all the floating items returned to their places. "I don't want that either, Sunbeam." She glanced at the others, hoping she didn't overdo it again. "Sorry."

"She helped raise Apollon-san," Yui spoke up, wanting to come to the aid of her godly friend. "So she is like his second mother and because of that, she worries about him."

As Athena gave the human girl an appreciative smile, Apollon looked between the two females. "Have you met? Did you?" The scene at the tennis court last night came to his mind. "Oh! Was that what Father wanted you for, Fairy? To meet Thea-Thea?"

"Yes," Kusanagi confirmed. "She is also staying with me."

The Sun God's face lit up in absolute delight. "Are you friends? Thea-Thea, did you make a friend?!"

Athena laughed and hugged her brother. "Of course! Yui showed me around the campus last night. We also went shopping at the student store. It is true that buying new things is great fun!"

The human girl smiled as she thought back to the make-shift shopping spree. It was a great time. Suddenly the room filled with prisms as she heard the faint tinkling of bells. She was being sent to the past now?

_A happy squeal echoed through the air, followed by the sound of splashing water. Yui found herself standing in a rather plain room, a large basin sitting in the middle of it. She recognized the drenched figure of Athena, and when she moved to get a better look at the basin, Kusanagi grinned at the baby Sun God sitting inside. He was moving his little arms up and down in excitement, sending water all over. _

"_Nake-Nake! Nake-Nake!" the baby chanted as he splashed._

_The raven haired goddess grinned at his actions. "Yes, we know, Apollon loves being nakey-nakey. You'd never wear a stitch of clothing if you had your way," she chided with affection. Grabbing a pitcher, she poured water over the little god's head, dampening his curls to his face. "You get so dirty playing in the Underworld..."_

"_Wuv Wunkle!" the tiny Apollon declared._

"_Yes you do," Athena agreed, her eyes crinkling in mirth._

"_Wuv puhpees!" At the mention of Cerberus, he began to make a guttural sound._

_A hearty laugh came from the Goddess of Wisdom. "Are you trying to growl like Cerberus?"_

_Yui chuckled as well, enjoying the adorable scene playing out before her._ _She watched the bath time proceed, ending with Apollon being lifted from the basin and then wrapped from head to toe in an oversize cloth to dry him off. The girl giggled at the big green eyes peeking out from the opening. It was so cute!_

"_Me! Me!" the child god said, his voice muffled a bit by the fabric._

"_Oh, you want to dry yourself off?" Athena removed the cloth and Apollon's body began to glow a warm yellow color, drying him completely in seconds. As the goddess reached over for his clothes, the baby began to quickly crawl away, squealing happily._

"_No you don't! No nakey-nakey out of this room!" The female deity hurried after her brother, catching a hold of him before he cleared the doorway. As she lifted the tiny god up to her chest, he giggled and cooed, wrapping his arms as far as they could go around Athena's neck_.

"_Wuv Fee-Fee!" the little Sun God stated with a big smile, his golden head snuggling under his older sister's chin._

"_And I love my precious Sunbeam more than anything," Athena spoke softly, kissing his forehead. "I will always protect you."_

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_The air once again became filled with multicolored lights and the sound of tinkling bells. This time the human girl found herself standing in another location, but this one seemed familiar. As she looked around at the brightly lit surroundings, her mouth opened in surprise. She was back in the Underworld? But the last time she was here, it was so dark and foreboding. A joyful squeal pierced the air and Kusanagi immediately recognized the voice as baby Apollon._

_She followed the sound and quickly found the source. The little Sun God was being held gently in the arms of the imposing God of the Underworld, a tender gaze on Hades' face as he watched his nephew's reactions. Cerberus was also close by._

_Baby Apollon bounced up and down in Hades' grip, excitement filling his entire being as huge green eyes soaked in every detail he saw. He would point in another direction and chant, "Go! Go!" urging his uncle to take him to another section of the Underworld. No matter where they went, a bright light would fill the immediate area, instantly filling it with warmth._

_Yui followed them, her interest growing by the minute. For such a dark and foreboding place, it had a lot of nice things like furnishings, tapestries, statues and fountains. Was Hades-san actually very wealthy? Her questions were answered when they entered a room filled with random treasures. Where did all this come from? An amused chuckle tore Kusanagi from her musing. _

"_Do you like all the pretties?" Hades asked his excited nephew, whose bouncing increased as his little arms began pumping up an down. With one hand, the older god grabbed a hold of a brightly colored tapestry and dropped it to the floor. He then gently placed Apollon upon the fabric, pulling over a chest until it was right in front of the tiny Sun God. Opening the lid, there was a variety of silver and gold plates, bowls, and cups inside. If the baby was excited before, he was now ecstatic as tiny hands reached inside._

_Hades chuckled, ruffling the boy's messy, golden curls. Soon the air was filled with the clanging of objects, but Kusanagi noted that the sound was more than just noise...it was almost melodic. Was baby Apollon creating music? Athena-san did say he was the God of Music._

_After the impromptu concert, the toddler began to yawn and reached out to his uncle, who instantly picked him up. Little arms wrapped around Hades' neck as green eyes began to droop in sleep._

"_Wuv Wunkle," Apollon slurred, his eyes beginning to close. "Wuv puhpees."_

_Surprise filled the God of the Dead's face, but then a soft smile overtook his features. He looked around himself quickly before shyly placing a small kiss upon his nephew's golden hair. "We love you too," he said quietly._

_Cerberus went into action, coming up to the pair. Three sets of glowing red eyes stared at its master expectantly. _

"_I know, Sparkles takes his naps with you," Hades conceded. When the beast had settled down upon the tapestry on the floor, the god placed the slumbering baby against the hound, taking another piece of woven fabric to cover the little deity. Apollon let out a sleepy coo as he snuggled closer to Cerberus._

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Back in the present, everyone was caught by surprise when Kusanagi giggled to herself. Apollon's face broke into a smile at his friend's amusement. He was about to ask what was making her so happy, but Athena placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"She's having another vision," she explained. "We shouldn't interfere."

"A vision?" Apollon echoed. "A prophecy?"

"No, most likely a scene from the past. Just like when she saw you and Cassandra back in ancient Greece."

"Like with...Cassandra?" The Sun God looked at his older sister in confusion. "How did you know about all of that?"

"Yui told me about it last night. I think her necklace is allowing her to still see into yesteryear for some reason. She needs to experience what the Ama no Murakumo wants her to see."

Balder glanced over at the human girl. "What do you mean by past visions? Why did she only see the past of Agana Belea?"

Though the question wasn't spoken in a negative tone, the Goddess of Wisdom could sense some jealousy emanating from the god. Was he the Norse God of Light, Balder? If he was, then that meant he was also the God of Destruction, and caution would be needed in dealing with his darker side.

"What's going on?" Loki interrupted, his curiosity nearly driving him mad. "Why was Kusanagi having visions about this Cassandra? Does she have something to do with why you were brought to the school, Apollon?"

At that moment, Kusangi was brought instantly back to the present, and was grateful no one was watching her. She overheard Loki's question, but kept silent, unsure of what to say. Did the Sun God want all that known?

Hades, Athena and Dionysus turned worried eyes to their youngest. Was the subject of the deceased lover still too painful to speak about?

Casting his eyes off to the side of the room, Apollon cleared his throat and nodded, his demeanor turning somber. "Yes. Cassandra was a mortal woman I loved with all my being, so much so I gave her some of my gift of prophesy."

"What?!" Takeru nearly bolted upright from his seat. "We aren't supposed to share our powers with mortals! There's a reason why we're gods and they're mortals."

The Sun God gave a bitter smile. "At the time, all I could think about was trying to win her love. She worried about a mortal and god being together, so I thought that if she had a small bit of my prophesy gift, she would feel more at ease with our relationship. It didn't even enter my mind that the ability to see into the future would be overwhelming to her."

"What happened?" Thor asked point blank.

Yui tensed at the question, recalling the tragic scene at the riverbed, when Apollon-san had found Cassandra's lifeless body. She never did tell the Sun God about the vision at the temple and how Cassandra reacted after she opened the gift. Athena was the only one who knew that detail.

"She...she committed suicide soon after I gave her the gift. Sometimes the guilt and sorrow was so strong that I couldn't even function. All I wanted to do was hide away and avoid everything and everyone."

The other gods in the room grew silent at the revelation, thinking about how devastated their friend must've felt at the tragic turn of events. A gift of love that turned into a horrible loss.

Loki's heart went out to the Greek god as he stole a glance at his best friend, Balder. If Apollon hadn't spoken up and gotten the rest involved, he too would be experiencing the same emotions associated with losing someone you cared about.

"You didn't mean any harm in your gift. Even though you're a god, you don't have the power to control how she reacted to it," the redhead said with compassion thick in his voice. "It was her choice."

"Thank you so much, Loki-Loki," Apollon whispered, his eyes filling with unshed tears.

"Because of what you suffered, you were able to prevent another from going through the same thing," the God of Mischief added.

Watery, green eyes opened wide in shock at the realization. It was true, he didn't want anyone to go through the tragedies he had to live through. Apollon gave a slight smile to Dionysus, a past conversation coming to his mind. The God of Wine had said something similar decades ago.

As Yui watched the touching moment between the two gods, her vision suddenly changed. This time there wasn't the multicolored prisms and tinkling bells. Instead there was a black mist floating in the immediate area, alarming the human girl.

Was she going to witness some terrible event this time?


	17. Chapter 17

*Italicized words indicate past events*

CHAPTER 17

_The place Yui found herself was a cave of some sort. She could make out sunlight at the opening, but inside, the swirling black mist overpowered the immediate area. What was this? It reminded her of the black mist that came from Apollon-san's ring. What was the reason for bringing her here? Her chestnut colored eyes narrowed their focus as she tried to make sense of her surroundings._

_Nothing but black mist met her vision until she was able to make out a long and white, cylinder shaped object on the cave floor. As the girl moved closer to it, a wave of horror overcame her as more and more of the object began to reveal itself through the darkness. The thing on the floor was an arm, and it was attached to a motionless body. Kusanagi could make out a shock of blond hair, leaving no question as to who it was._

_Panic filled her as she scrambled to the figure on her hands and knees. "Apollon-san!" she cried out frantically as she tried to shake him. Like in her other visions, her hands refused to do her bidding, stopping mere inches from reaching her friend. What was wrong with him? Why was he in such a place? Was he hurt? Yui called the Sun God's name again, receiving no response or movement from the Greek deity._

_What could she do?_

_A male voice reverberated outside the cave's opening, easing the Japanese teen's anxiety a tad. It was Dionysus-san! She started to call out his name, but stopped, remembering her role was just as a spectator. Mentally she pleaded that he'd come in and find his brother!_

_Her wish was granted as the redhead ran inside, spotting the prone figure of the blond god immediately. The God of Wine hooked his hands underneath Apollon's arms and drug his sibling out into the sunshine._

_Yui hurried after the pair, her breath hitching in her throat when she scanned her environment. Her eyes immediately went to the gently flowing river off to the side, her memory instantly recognizing the location._

_This was where Cassandra killed herself!_

"_C'mon Apollon, soak up the sunshine," Dionysus begged, cupping his brother's chin and lifting it up towards the bright ball of light. Seconds later the god was rewarded by a slight stirring of the male held in his arms, and bleary green orbs opened partially._

"_Dee-Dee?" the Sun God asked weakly. "What? What happened?"_

"_What happened?" Dionysus replied incredulously. "What were you doing in that cave? Why weren't you naturally lighting that space with your power? You know that total darkness is harmful to you!"_

_The purple haired girl watched her normally enthusiastic friend, shocked at how pale and drawn looking he was. His vivid green eyes were dull and swollen from days of incessant crying. The god before her now resembled someone on their deathbed, not the vivacious classmate she knew at the academy._

_Strangely, the black mist still swirled around the Sun God, though lessening as he regained more strength from the sunlight. Dionysus-san didn't seem to notice the strange black matter, so was she the only one who could see it?_

"_Sunny Shine, you're really starting to scare me," Dionysus admitted, arms still wrapped around his brother._

"_Don't ever call me that again!" Apollon suddenly snapped, trying feebly to push the other god away. "I don't want you worrying about me! I'm not worth it!"_

_The God of Fertility didn't release his hold, but instead increased his grip. "Don't give me that," he muttered under his breath. "I'm your brother, of course I'm going to worry about you. You need to fight through this like you have in the past."_

"_I'm not worth it, please just let me go," the Sun God pleaded. "I don't have the strength in me to fight anymore. What good does it do anyway? No matter how hard I try, every time I find happiness, it gets ripped away. I give of myself freely, only to be used and thrown aside when I'm no longer needed." The blond stared blankly towards the river. "Why should I keep this failing battle going? So I can suffer more pain and rejection? I'd be doing everyone a favor if I did fade away from the world."_

_Stunned at first by Apollon's words, her chest constricted at the obvious anguish he was in. Yui noticed the dark mist intensified when Apollon gave his wearied speech. Was this the 'shadow' over his heart that Zeus mentioned? She turned beseeching eyes towards Dionysus, who remained quiet. Wasn't he going to talk some sense into his brother?_

_The redhead stayed silent for a while, finally releasing his hold before shoving his sibling away. "I never thought I'd see the day that you'd turn into the very thing you were just complaining about," he said coldly, his tone surprising both Kusanagi and Apollon. "You turned into a whining, pitiful, selfish bastard."_

"_Dionysus-san!" Yui cried out in reflex. That was totally uncalled for. His brother was suffering and you 'comfort' him like that?_!

_Apollon's eyes flashed in anger as he managed to pull himself into a kneeling position. "How dare you!" he roared in uncharacteristic fury. "I am the one being rebuffed for loving and helping others, and you call me SELFISH?!"_

_Dionysus folded his arms across his chest in a nonchalant manner. "Oh? You're being helpful right now? You're being selfless here by making your family anxious over you?" He gave a snort of disgust. "All I see is a grown god acting like a spoiled child."_

"_Didn't...didn't you hear anything I said?! Didn't you?!" the Sun God demanded hotly, his body beginning to glow a bright yellow color._

"_I heard you just fine. I only find it hypocritical at how immature you're reacting."_

"_Immature?! This coming from an unhinged drunkard?!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Apollon dropped his blond head in shame. "I...I...shouldn't have... I'm sorry," he stammered, his rage and strength gone. It wasn't Dionysus' fault that he had moments of insanity._

_The God of Wine's green eyes softened. "Yes, I am a crazy drunkard who needs his little brother to stop him from giving into his more violent cravings. I need you to stop me, or from instructing my followers to give into absolute depravity and hopelessness." _

_The redhead gave the younger god a tight hug. "You are the only one who can reach me when I get that bad. The world will go on if you never give another prophesy, play music, shoot your bow and arrows, or use any of your other gifts, but we...your family... love and need you to be here with us."_

_He grasped Apollon's shoulders and pushed him back slightly so their eyes could meet. With an imploring, yet soothing voice, he suggested, "If you can't muster the strength to fight for yourself, then fight on for Leto, Artemis, Crazy Scary, Hermes, Hades, me...and even the contentious ol' Thunder Bolt. If you can't find it in yourself to strive for happiness, then help others find theirs. Channel that grief and pain into assisting others to avoid what you suffered. Live on for us that way."_

_Tears welled up in Apollon's eyes as he grabbed a hold of his brother, burying his golden head into Dionysus' shoulder, while he allowed his swirling emotions to culminate into an orchestra of watery concession. _

_Dionysus let his brother cry until he fell asleep in his arms, a smile on his lips as he gently placed the blonde down on the grass. He glanced up towards the sky as he too laid upon the ground beside his sleeping brother. "Hmm...the sun seems a bit brighter all of a sudden..."_

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This time when Yui came back to the present, she found the eyes of her godly friends looking at her in worry. She squelched her feelings from what she had just viewed centuries ago, and gave a sheepish look. "I'm fine!"

"More past visions?" Athena asked, bending down in front of the teenager. Receiving a nod, the goddess asked the human girl, "How about we discuss what you saw in my classroom?"

"But, what about Master Thoth? We still haven't finished our lesson."

"The way I see it, you've obviously missed most of his class anyway, and if you keep having these visions, it'll only set off his less than stellar temperment."

"That is right," Apollon recalled. "When class started, you and Uncle Hades were gone, declaring your love for each other."

"**WHAT**?!" Hades, Yui and Athena cried out in unison.

Kusanagi's cheeks burned red. "What...what made you think that?!"

"You and Hades were holding hands and talking to each other out in the hallway during gym class," Loki supplied, "and then you disappeared together. What were we supposed to think?"

"It was...it was nothing like that!" Hades demanded, his own cheeks a bright red that matched the human girl's. "Kusanagi was just telling me about one of the visions she had."

Balder let out a relived sigh as he smiled over in Yui's direction. "Oh, so you two are not in love. We definitely jumped to the wrong conclusion."

The Goddess of Wisdom let out an irritated huff of air. "Males," she stated simply. Turning to Yui, she motioned for the smaller female to follow her. "We need to discuss this while it is still fresh in your mind." Athena pointed to her white owl still perched on Apollon's shoulder. "You stay here and protect Sunbeam," she ordered.

"Okay, I'll come with you," Kusanagi agreed, rising from her chair.

As they cleared the door, the gods could hear Athena bellow, "Yo! Master Prickles! Come finish your class! I also have my owl protecting my brother, so you better watch it! He'll scratch your eyes out before you could even blink!"

"Be gone, Woman!"

Thoth came storming back into the room, his eyes staring down any who dared to look in his direction. When he heard a few snickers behind his back, he slammed his hand down upon his desk and snarled, "I know many of you find what that female savage did amusing, but be warned... If you think I will tolerate disrespect, I will be more than willing to inflict the most extreme punishments I can conceive of!"

Pleased with the looks of fear in his students eyes, the Egyptian god turned to the chalkboard and restarted his lesson.

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As soon as Thoth went into his classroom, Zeus followed his daughter and the human representative into the room across the hall. Closing the door behind him, his imposing figure stood stock still, golden eyes traveling between the two females.

"I sensed something while talking to Thoth," he spoke, eyes turning to Kusangi. "You had another vision, didn't you?"

Yui nodded.

"Hades mentioned you told him about a vision you had,"Athena queried. What was that vision about?" "

"It was the time Apollon-san first met Cerberus," Yui answered quickly, recalling the warning Zeus gave her about telling the goddess of how Apollon actually got down to the Underworld. She could easily see Athena going ballistic over the information.

Athena grew excited as she thought back to that day centuries ago. "Oh! You got to see Sunbeam as a baby! Wasn't he the most beautiful baby?"

The Japanese teen gave a little giggle. "He was definitely adorable!"

"So how did he charm Cerberus?" the goddess asked eagerly as she scooted closer to Kusanagi. "He's always had that ferocious beast wrapped around his little finger."

"Well, as soon as he saw Cerberus, he started to glow and a bunch of colored lights filled the area. Apollon-san was very happy and offered some of his orange slices..." Yui stopped herself from cringing. She inadvertently mentioned the forbidden 'oranges'!

The Goddess of Wisdom let out a laugh as she shook her head. "I swear, if he could get away with it, Sunbeam would only consume oranges, ambrosia, and nectar all day long."

"Ambrosia?"

"It is the food of the gods," Athena explained. "Most of us only partake of it once in a while, but Sunbeam loves to eat it as much as possible."

"Only gods can eat it?"

The female deity nodded. "Correct. If a human consumed some, it would kill them, but for gods, it kind of rejuvenates our powers, or offers a form of healing."

"You females talk too much!" Zeus cleared his throat, signaling he wanted the conversation to return to the visions. "My son's eating habits is not the topic of discussion. What else did you see?"

"In the next one I had, Apollon-san came running into your throne room and told you about the baby bird he just healed. Then he used his Healing power to cure the baby in your thigh." Yui deliberately left out the part with Hera, not sure how the cantankerous god would receive it. Maybe it would be best to discuss it with Athena-san later.

"Dionysus," Athena murmured thoughtfully. "Those two were always close. They had this instant bond when they first met each other, and it was probably due to that day."

Zeus forced himself to smother the smile tugging at his lips as he recalled that special occasion. He couldn't give in now and show any weakness. Even if Hera wasn't around, he didn't want to get back into the habit of showing overt paternal affection where Apollon was concerned.

"Was that the vision you had this morning?" Athena asked.

"It was." The human girl smiled at the goddess. "In the first vision I had in class, I saw you give baby Apollon-san a bath, and he wanted to dry himself with his powers. Then he tried to sneak out without putting any clothes on."

The Goddess of Wisdom shook her head with a soft chuckle. "He loved being 'nakey-nakey'. It wasn't easy to keep that little behind clothed."

This time the God of the Heavens couldn't stop the tiny grin that crept up. He remembered many a time where a younger Apollon would tear off his toga as he ran around, laughing happily as the Sun soaked into his naked body. That trend continued as he matured, though not as frequently.

There was a good reason why ancient sculptors and painters depicted Apollon in the nude...

"Then another vision came right after the bath scene, and this time it was Hades-san holding baby Apollon-san and showing him all over the Underworld," Yui continued. Her smile turned warm as she recalled the touching sight. "You could tell Hades-san enjoyed every moment."

"Yes, he's very fond of Apollon," Zeus admitted, quickly turning his head to the side to avoid eye contact.

The human girl glanced between the deities. "Is Hades-san rich? I saw a lot of expensive things. He even let Apollon-san make music with what looked like real gold and silver plates and cups."

"Of course he's wealthy," Zeus said in a dismissive tone. "He gets tributes from the deceased families." The male deity frowned in vexation at the necklace around Kusanagi's neck. "I don't understand why I detected sadness and suffering when those visions were so trivial."

The Japanese teenager lowered her head. "That probably had to do with the last vision I had," she said quietly. "This one began differently than all the others. I was surrounded in a thick, black mist. When I could finally see past it, I saw the figure of Apollon-san lying motionless in a cave, with that black mist swirling all around."

"The curse?!" Athena turned worried eyes to her father. "You said there was a black mist that you could detect around him, correct?"

"A curse?" Kusanagi echoed.

"Was he emitting any kind of light?" Zeus interrupted.

"No. It was total blackness."

"My poor Sunbeam!" The Goddess of Strategic Warfare placed her face in her hands. "That darkness could've seriously harmed him!"

Kusanagi reached out and touched the distressed deity's arm. "Dionysus-san found him and brought him out into the sunlight. That seemed to help revive Apollon-san a little."

"Then he was ok?" Athena asked hopefully. "Did you find out why he was in that cave?"

The girl dropped her gaze. "That cave was beside the river where he had found Cassandra. He was talking about giving up, not wanting to fight on anymore. It was so sad to hear him in such emotional pain."

Zeus shared a knowing glance with his daughter. "Did the black mist intensify?"

"Yes it did!" She turned entreating eyes towards the God of the Heavens. "Was Apollon-san under some kind of curse?"

"That is not your concern!" the sky deity snapped. "It was dealt with. Go on with what you saw."

"Father! Don't be so harsh!" Athena grabbed a hold of Yui's right hand and squeezed it. "Please tell us every detail of what happened that day."

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"It is now time for your lunch break," Thoth informed the classroom. "After that you will proceed to spend the rest of your school day with the Demon Woman in the rooms across the hall. You are dismissed."

As the students rushed out of the room, the Egyptian god let out a sarcastic snort. Good riddance to those brain spazes. That female hellion will find out soon enough what she had gotten herself into, and would be begging Zeus to allow her out of the deal. He'd give her a week.

He smirked as he made his way to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. He'd better enjoy his free time while it lasted.

***Author's note* I read on a couple of sites that Apollon was able to sooth Dionysus' crazed episodes. One site said they hated each other, but many others had them being compatible, though on opposite sides of behavior. I even saw a picture/painting of a drunk Dionysus with his arm draped around Apollo's shoulder...LOL**

**Many thanks to all who are reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

Hello!

Sorry it took so long to post. Life got in the way.

Thanks again to all who are faving, leaving comments and reading.

CHAPTER 18

As the younger generation of the gods ambled into the cafeteria, all eyes were looking through the mass of students for two females in particular. What was going on? What were the visions Kusanagi Yui was having about Apollon's past? Was he the only focus of the visions? Could she have visions of any of their pasts too?

After picking out their choices of food to consume, the male deities made their way to their usual table. Apollon sat down first, sitting a couple of seats down from where he would normally sit, leaving two chairs at the front end of the table vacant.

"Why are you sitting so far down?" Balder inquired, as he too made sure there was an empty seat beside him. "Don't you only need one seat for your sister to join you?"

The blonde Greek brightened. "Oh! One chair is for Thea-Thea and the other is for Fairy!"

"No, Yui will be sitting beside me," Balder insisted with a smile.

"But, wouldn't Thea-Thea and Fairy like to sit together because they are friends?" Apollon asked.

"If that is the case, then Thor can move down another seat and your sister can sit beside him and Yui can sit by me."

"Ha!" Dionysus said sarcastically. "Ol' Crazy Scary ain't gonna accept that!"

"Agreed," Hades concurred.

"I would consider sitting by your sister a great honor," Thor replied quietly, not looking up from his plate.

Dionysus raised his eyebrow in incredulity. "Here I thought you were a dude with some common sense."

Takeru shot Balder a look. "Hey! Didn't Weed sit beside you at breakfast? She is sitting with us!"

The group was so absorbed in their disagreement about seating arrangements that they didn't take notice of the statuesque figure whose grey eyes were glaring down at them. The slamming of an empty tray upon the table stilled the voices as all eyes raised and focused upon the perpetrator.

"Stop this nonsense at once!" Athena commanded. "Yui is your fellow classmate and friend, so don't place her in the middle of your male egos!" The raven haired goddess wanted to slap them upside their heads in frustration. Did that poor girl have to suffer through this stupidity every day?!

"I wanted you to sit beside me," Apollon explained, turning on his puppy dog eyes. "I left another seat empty so Fairy could sit beside you since you're now good friends. The others would like Fairy to sit with them, but the problem is she can't sit beside all of us..."

The goddess smiled at her younger brother. "That is why your suggestion makes more sense." She turned to the human girl. "If Yui would like, she could sit beside me, and then we don't have to worry about who she's not sitting beside."

"Yes!" Kusanagi hurried to agree. It wasn't lost on her that Balder once again purposely had an empty seat beside him.

The two women then left to select what they wanted for lunch, leaving the male deities to look on in silence, until Balder broke through the quiet.

His bottom lip jutting out a tad in a pout, the handsome God of Light cast his sky blue eyes downward and said in disappointed tone, "I wanted Yui to sit beside me. How can we get closer if she avoids me?"

"She can't always sit by you!" Takeru countered testily. "I want to get to know her better too!"

"Apollon-Agana Belea's sister is correct," Tsukito suddenly spoke up. "To avoid confrontation, Kusanagi Yui should sit by her." He turned his golden eyes to the blond Greek. "Your older sister is truly wise."

"I agree," Thor added.

Apollon grinned and nodded his head up and down. "Isn't Thea-Thea the best?!"

"I'm gonna puke!" Dionysus cried out in mock anguish as he clutched at his chest. "If any of you build an alter to her, I'm going to seriously flip out!"

"Flip out?" Athena echoed as she and Kusanagi joined the other gods. Her voice dropped to a serious level as her silvery eyes studied her brother. "Is that what happened for you to inflict Sunbeam with ouchies?"

Dionysus suddenly became nervous. "Who said it was me? Apollon can get ouchies all on his own."

"Don't bother playing dumb! I saw how you acted back in the classroom. You looked like you were about to piss yourself."

"Hey now!" the God of Fertility shot back in irritation, the snickering of some reaching his ears. "It was more the shock of your violent appearance! Kicking someone's ass isn't a form of greeting, even if it is you!"

The goddess shrugged her shoulders as she sat down in the chair beside Apollon. "I'm actually surprised there wasn't a puddle..." She smirked to herself. "I hope your imagination goes wild worrying about your punishment from me for hurting Sunbeam..."

"Thea-Thea," the blond Greek entreated softly. "I want you two to be nice to each other. I love you both so much that it bothers me when you don't get along."

"Oh, alright," Athena relented with a heavy sigh. "I'll do it for you." Truth be told, she wasn't really planning on striking back at Dionysus. After hearing about what he did back at the cave to save the Sun God, she actually owed him a debt of gratitude..., but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Yeah...whatever," Dionysus agreed half-heartedly with flick of his wrist and a roll of his eyes.

Apollon thrusted his fists into the air at the truce. "Kalos! It will make game night even more fun!"

"Game night?" the goddess questioned.

"Yes, yes! On Saturday and Sunday I'm going to host a night full of games from the human world. Of course you have to come both times!"

The female deity smiled wide. "I wouldn't miss it for anything." She turned her eyes to the empty seat by Balder. "Why don't everyone move down closer. It would make it easier to converse." A chair scraped across the floor as Tsukito quickly took the empty seat between the two Norse gods.

"Bro?!" Takeru exclaimed in surprise. He would never have expected his sedate, older brother to move that fast. What caused this unusual reaction?

"Greetings!" Athena addressed the lilac haired god. "And what is your name?"

The God of the Moon just stared blankly at the goddess, making no attempt at speech.

"This is Tsuki-Tsuki!" Apollon supplied. "He's the Japanese Moon God." He shared a brief look with Takeru, confused at the odd behavior his friend was exhibiting. Tsukito never had a problem talking, especially when addressed.

Athena nodded in recognition. "Ah, Tsukiyomi. But here you are called Tsukito Totsuka."

The said deity shook his head up and down rapidly, still not uttering a word.

The Goddess of Wisdom then looked towards Balder. "Are you the Norse God of Light, Balder Hringhorni?"

The honey blond smiled pleasantly. "Yes I am. I look forward to what you have to teach us about humanity."

"I am excited about it myself," Athena admitted with a laugh. "The human world is quite fascinating."

"How do you know so much about it?" Loki asked.

"You must be Loki Laevatein? The Norse God of Fire?"

The redhead grinned mischievously as he winked. "That's me."

"To answer your question, I traveled extensively with various warriors throughout the world over the centuries. I still do on occasion to keep current." Athena stopped the conversation and suddenly glanced around. "Where is my owl?"

"Oh! I summoned some mice for Hoot-Hoot, so he's off hunting for dinner," Apollon explained. "I did tell him not to eat too much because I have some crackers he might like."

The Goddess the Wisdom patted the side of the Sun God's face. "You spoil Hoot-Hoot so much," she commented with affection.

"You can summon mice?" Takeru asked the blond Greek, surprised at the information. "That's a weird gift to have."

"I'm associated with plagues, so mice and rats obey my wishes," Apollon answered quietly, lowering his head as he sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. "Since I am the God of Healing, I can also cause the sickness."

"You? For real? That's a power I'd never associate with you," Loki had to admit. His eyes grew huge as a sudden thought struck him. "So all the major plagues over history were your doing?"

Placing her arm protectively around her little brother's shoulders, Athena stated firmly, "He rarely used that power, and he was unjustly blamed for many outbreaks. Mankind brought most of the plaques upon themselves due to ignorance, disobedience and superstition."

Toying with the food on his plate, the God of the Sun kept his green eyes downcast. "I despise that gift," he acknowledged. "Even though I didn't exert that power often, being blamed for the maladies caused people to pray to me for healing. Then I was able to help them."

"You couldn't heal anyone unless you were asked?" Yui inquired. Did Zeus-san force this 'rule' upon Apollon-san?

Apollon gave the Japanese teenager a rueful smile. "We gods have to walk a thin line between our wills and human will. If I had my way, no one would ever get sick, but without suffering, no one would truly know joy either. Even a perfect life would soon become meaningless."

"I never thought of it that way," Kusanagi said thoughtfully. She glanced at each of the deities seated with her at the table. "If humanity never had difficulties, then there would be no need for gods. It's like we depend on each other."

"Very true," Athena agreed, patting the teenaged girl on the arm. "We share a deep bond with humanity since Mankind was created by the gods. We have the same emotions as mortals do."

A swell of warmth overtook Kusanagi at the thought of how these deities weren't so far apart from her after all.

Apollon anxiously peeked up from his uneaten food. Did the others think badly of him now since he confessed to having such a cruel power? He truly did hate doing it, and always felt remorseful afterwards... Well, except for the last time he inflicted a plaque. That was justifiable.

Watching the Sun God closely, Tsukito suddenly blurted out, "Apollon Agana Belea, are you feeling like everyone is judging you because of that power? You cannot help what you were born with."

The blond's head jerked up in surprise. "You don't think less of me knowing I can cause disease?"

"Why should we?" the Sea God piped up. "I also got blamed for things that weren't my fault."

"You saw what I was capable of," Balder said gently. "I am the last person to judge you."

"As long as you don't make me sick, I don't care," Loki commented with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I've known all along, and I still hang out with you," Dionysus said with a smirk.

"But you're my brother," Apollon countered.

"Yeah, but I still could've avoided you like the plaque," the God of Merrymaking dead panned, earning a groan from the other male deities and a nasty glower from Athena.

Yui smiled to herself as she watched everyone. They were all trying to comfort Apollon-san in their own way. Through her interactions with each god, she discovered that they had their own struggles with rejection and guilt. In a way, they had a lot more in common than you'd think.

Balder's question, caught the teenager by surprise. "Ms. Aegis told us you are having visions. What were they about?"

Before Yui could answer, Athena interrupted, hugging her blond brother close to her side. "Oh! She was so lucky! She got to see Sunbeam as a baby! The first time he met Cerberus, visiting Hades, me giving him a bath, the first time he healed something..."

"Do you mean Hoot-Hoot?" the Sun God realized.

"Athena-san's owl was the bird you healed?" Kusanagi asked.

The Greek god nodded. "Yes! I was visiting Mother and Sis-Sis on Earth when Thea-Thea came to take me back to Olympus. On the way home, I could sense something was in pain, and I noticed that a little bird had fallen from its nest." His voice softened as he continued, cupping his hands as if he was cradling something small. "As I picked him up, I could feel his life slowly fading away, so I closed my eyes and wished with all my heart for him to live...and it worked."

"I granted Hoot-Hoot eternal life after he grew to his full size, and I couldn't have asked for a better companion," the Goddess of Wisdom added.

"Yeah, a full time screech machine who stalks everyone," Dionysus mumbled under his breath.

The warrior goddess shot her brother a glare, but reigned in her anger since she had just promised Apollon she would play nice. "And you wonder why my owl doesn't like you," she muttered instead.

"So, were all your visions about Agana Belea?" Balder questioned the Japanese teen.

"Yes," Kusanagi admitted.

"But why only him?" The Norse God of Light frowned slightly. "Can you not see our pasts too?"

"I-I don't know...," Yui faltered. How could she answer when she wasn't sure herself what was going on.

"As I explained back in the classroom, the Ama no Murakumo is dictating what she is seeing," Athena answered. "Yui cannot control what is shown to her."

Fidgeting in his seat, Apollon gave his older sister a worried look. "But what could be the point of still seeing into my past? Won't that only make Fairy sad in the end?"

Athena gently stroked her younger brother's golden hair as her voice took on a motherly tone. "I think she'll come away with the impression of how strong and truly compassionate you are. To have gone through all that you did and to still care about others speaks volumes."

The comment caused all at the table to pause. Thor and the Totsuka brothers thought back to the conversation with Hades and Dionysus. How tragic was the Sun God's past? Loki and Balder looked at each other, the curiosity evident in their faces. Did more happen to their friend than just the Cassandra episode?

The somber atmosphere was interrupted by Hoot-Hoot flying through an open window in the cafeteria. The large bird of prey perched itself on the back of Apollon's chair, nuzzling the side of the Sun God's face.

Immediately the blond Greek's mood lightened. "Did you like your dinner, Hoot-Hoot?"

Thoth had walked into the room at the very moment the owl made its appearance known, drawing his immediate attention to the animal. He had to admire the magnificence of the creature. Due to his being the Egyptian deity of Wisdom and Knowlege, he was strongly associated with the owl. His admiration quickly evaporated, and annoyance took over when he viewed the Greek goddess sitting among her students. Why in the world would she associate with those morons? His pride still stinging from his unwarranted attack, the thought of irritating the female barbarian entered his mind. She wasn't allowed to touch him, and pissing her off would feel so good. And to do it through her precious, bubble brained brother would be even better yet.

"Hoot-Hoot?" he mocked Apollon as he came up to the group. "How can you give a magnificent creature like that such an oafish name? To continue on that thought, why do you have to speak so simplistically on everything?"

"Watch your tongue!" Athena snapped, her grey eyes storming over in barely contained fury. "Don't you dare imply Sunbeam is stupid! He is a God of Knowledge!"

The Egyptian gave a sarcastic chuckle. "A God of Knowledge? Of what, below average?" Enjoying the rise he was getting out of the angry goddess, he glanced between the siblings. "Oh, I think I understand now. Due to your obsessive smothering, the idiot's mental growth was stunted."

"WHAT?!"

Smirking, Thoth walked past the table. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"COME BACK HERE YOU SORRY PRICK!" Athena bellowed, rising from her chair. A firm hand on her arm stopped the goddess from charging after the older deity.

"No Thea-Thea," Apollon begged. "You can't fight with him, remember?"

"But...but...what he said about you!"

The blond Greek smiled. "He was only joking."

"Joking my ass," Athena mumbled. "Maybe I should give that stick he has up his posterior a hard twist." The raven haired female settled back down into her chair, her eyes still smoldering in Thoth's direction. True, she couldn't attack him physically, but there were other ways to get back at that ego-bloated jackass!

Oh, it was on!


End file.
